


Shopping Mall AU

by FacetiousFanboy



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Arcades, Business, Character Development, Coffee Shops, Dancing, Dating, Drama, Hinduism, Holiday Shopping, Holidays, Human AU, Implied Jasper/Pink Diamond, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jasper selling refrigerators, Kissing, Moving In Together, Parody, Scheming, Shopping, Shopping Mall, Shopping Mall AU, Stress, The Crystal Gems own a store, The Diamonds own a mall, Visiting Santa Claus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-01-22 05:31:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12474556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FacetiousFanboy/pseuds/FacetiousFanboy
Summary: This is an AU about a store that the Crystal Gems own and a mall that the Diamonds own. These are stories that take place within that AU.A quick thank you to Hachi and some of the other guys from discord for helping me to come up with ideas for this.





	1. Chapter 1

Amethyst loved her job. She was the cashier at Terra, a store that sold a number of things, and she was basically responsible for the front of the store. The best part about her job was all the people she got to meet and that she got a fantastic chair to relax in between customers. She loved working at the store and had done so for years now, joining on shortly after she moved into the town. 

The store was owned by Rose Quartz who ran it from behind the scenes and was rarely seen. The store was struggling due to a long ongoing competition with the Diamond Mall across the street. The mall was widely popular and had caused Terra and a few other businesses in the area to lose customers. Though some of the other businesses had closed down this store was still around and they were doing their best to stay open. 

The store was managed by a tight group of employees, Pearl was in charge of the clothing and home living areas and Garnet was in charge of the electronics and toys area. There were a few other employees aside from them who were mostly part-time workers but it was rare for them to stay more than a few months before moving on to a different job. The store was mostly empty right now due to the limited number of employees and the fact that they were between rush periods. 

Amethyst felt like she was starting to fall asleep when a small boy with curly black hair and chubby cheeks peeked his head up over the counter and smiled at her. She was suddenly filled with energy as she leaned forward and jumped up. "Steven!" She leapt over the counter and picked up her favorite little buddy, pulling him into a hug which he happily returned. 

"Hi Amethyst!" He held onto her even as she set him back down and only pulled back when he heard his father's voice. 

"Hey Amethyst, I see Steven found you." Greg chuckled. 

Amethyst looked up at Greg and smiled. She and he had been friends for about as long as they had known each other and they still had little get-togethers to binge watch old shows. "Greg! What's happening man?" She held a fist out to him. 

Greg happily pounded his fist against hers. "I'm coming by to drop off Steven, he's really excited to spend time with you guys." 

"Yeah! I'm hoping Garnet will finally show me how to play that videogame you guys have in the back!" Steven exclaimed excitedly. 

Greg smiled and patted Steven's head. "I'm sure she will Stew-ball, but first we're gonna drop by your mom's office." 

"She's not in," Amethyst interjected. “She had to go out to organize the fall shipment. Pearl should be coming this way in a couple of minutes though, she's always checking on me to make sure I'm not 'slacking off'." Amethyst made quotations with her fingers. 

Greg frowned. "She's out again?" He sighed. This was not an uncommon occurrence but he was still sad when he couldn't see her.

Steven looked up at him. "Hey it's okay dad, you can just see her tonight." 

Greg smiled. "Yeah, you're right." 

Pearl cleared her throat from a few feet away where she had been watching the group. "Amethyst aren't you supposed to be working?" 

Amethyst looked at Pearl and smirked. "I am, I'm serving customers," she looked back to Greg. "Isn't that right sir?" 

Steven let out a little chuckle but Greg just nodded. "Yeah, thanks for your help Amethyst." 

Amethyst nodded and quickly moved back behind the counter, sitting and leaning back with her hands behind her head. "Another satisfied customer." She smirked at Pearl. 

Pearl groaned and rolled her eyes before walking to Greg. "Hello Greg, how can I help you?" She folded her hands and acted like she was helping a customer, even plastering a smile across her face. 

"I'm just dropping off Steven, then I need to go out and run some errands." 

Pearl frowned and raised an eyebrow. "What kinds of Errands?" She asked suspiciously. 

"Well I've got some things I need to pick up like a new fridge." 

Steven meanwhile ran off, going to find Garnet and probably tell her about everything that had happened since he had last seen her. Steven was a good kid and he was always a positive force no matter where he went. Amethyst felt like having him in the store made the place seem less boring. 

Pearl's eyes went wide. "You mean you're going to shop over there?" She pointed across the street to the mall. 

Greg nodded. "Yeah, there's a sale going on right on right now and we need a new fridge." 

Amethyst swore she could hear Pearl's blood pressure rising. 

"You can't shop there!" Pearl practically screeched. "They're our rivals! As long as we've been here they've done nothing but try to put us out of business!"

Amethyst sighed heavily. She knew that the store was in competition with the mall, but she didn’t understand why Pearl and Garnet both had such a strong prejudice against the mall and the Diamond sisters who ran it. She had tried to ask them on a few occasions but they wouldn't tell her. Amethyst wouldn't have had a problem with it except that Pearl in particular seemed paranoid about it, seeing everything the mall did as an attempt to destroy their store. 

Greg frowned. "Pearl please. Money's tight as it is and I can't afford to pass over a deal, even if it is at that mall." 

Pearl was about to fly into another rant when Greg held up a hand to stop her. "I'm sorry Pearl, but no matter what you say I'm going over there. Thank you for watching over Steven, I'll be back to pick him up in a few hours." He looked at Amethyst. "Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." 

Amethyst raised her hand, giving him a gesture that meant "okay" and smiled. Pearl was absolutely flabbergasted and was about to say something else when Greg turned and walked out. She stood there and stewed for a second before turning to Amethyst and scowling. 

"Sit up straight, what if the customers see you like that?" She turned and stomped away. 

Amethyst smiled and shook her head. She pulled out her drink and took a sip of it. She hoped Greg could have some fun at the mall, she meanwhile would do her job. She got up and used a broom to sweep up the front of the store, keeping it clean for when the customers did come. 

Greg looked both ways before crossing the street and walking into the mall parking lot. He didn't fully understand Pearl's prejudice against the mall but he knew she wasn't happy about him shopping there. The problem was that the mall sold some things that you couldn't buy anywhere else unless you wanted to drive for an hour or longer to reach a different business. He hadn't been lying about the sale either, or about how tight money was. 

Even with his wife, Rose, running a store and he himself working two part-time jobs they still scraped a little to get by. They had been saving up to buy a new fridge to replace their old one when this sale came up and Greg saw it as a perfect opportunity, one he was going to exploit. 

He also had to pick up a few other things and he wanted to take some time to relax and just shop. He went in through the KDNickel's entrance and walked through the store, glancing around at the apparel displayed on the mannequins and racks. He was approached very quickly by an employee who asked if he needed any help but he turned her down, stating that he was just passing through. 

He moved out of the store and passed the theater booth, moving on into the rest of the mall. The food court was just ahead, the smell of food wafted from the little alcoves where the chefs worked. Greg sniffed the air as he walked past and smiled. He was looking forward to getting some food and sharing it with Steven, but he had other errands first. 

He moved with determination past the various stores until he found the one he wanted, a media store. This little store had an assortment of movies, paraphernalia, small electronics, and most importantly music. Greg didn't think he would actually buy anything but he still wanted to browse and so he walked in and looked around. 

"Excuse me sir, is there anything I can help you with?" A nasally voice called to him from behind the counter. He turned to regard the woman. She was young, probably in her early twenties, and had blonde hair that she had obviously put a lot of gel in as it stuck up into the air, defying gravity. She wore glasses that had a greenish tint to them and freckles decorated her face. Her ears were pieced with little green triangle studs. She was wearing a shirt with an alien logo on it that was covered by the vest for the store. 

Greg smiled as he walked over to her. "Thank you," he regarded her name tag briefly, "Peridot, but I'm alright, just browsing for now." 

She nodded and leaned forward against the counter, resting her head against her hand. "Sure, if you need anything just ask." 

Greg nodded and started looking through the selections. There was the usual, classic rock, country, pop, some of that rap music and more of that hard metal stuff. Greg recognized some names but most of them were groups he had never heard before. 

He rifled through the classic rock section, seeing if there was anything that caught his interest. He nearly gave up hope when he spotted an album he thought he would never see. It was The Philosophy Majors’ second album, considered to be their best by most of their fan base. Greg picked it up immediately and looked at the price. It was marked down and had the complete album on a single disk. He took it to the front desk and set it before the girl who had apparently been dozing off. 

She snapped up as he approached and looked at the disk he set before her. "Will that be all for you today sir?" 

Greg took a second to look around at some of the display tables in the store. He spotted a couple of items that his son or wife would have liked to have but upon seeing the price tag next to them he decided he was better off just buying the cd. 

"Just this please. My name is Greg by the way." He smiled. "It feels weird having people call me sir." 

Peridot looked at the album and scanned the barcode. "I've never heard this group before. Are they good?" 

Greg seemed surprised. "Never heard them before? They're only one or the best experimental groups of their time!" He exclaimed, excited to talk about them. 

Peridot seemed surprised. "O-oh, okay. I don't listen to a lot of older music."

Greg smiled. "Well if you get the chance I highly recommend them." 

Peridot nodded and put the album into a bag, followed quickly by the receipt. "I'll think about it." She held the bag out to him. "Have a nice day, um, Greg." 

Greg nodded and smiled. "You too Peridot." He left, heading on to his next destination. He went into the toy store, looking around to see I there was anything not too expensive that he thought Steven would like. He couldn't find anything so he moved on. He went to a store that sold various products targeted towards women and bought a couple of flower scented hand lotions for Rose. She said she loved wearing the lotions and just enjoying the scents, that they helped her to focus. He finally reached the Zears located at the end of this wing of the store. He walked in and was greeted by a short Latino woman with deep auburn eyes. She had a symbol tattooed on her left shoulder. She seemed full of energy and ran up to him. 

"Hello there sir! I'm Carnie and I'm here to help! Is there anything you're looking for today?" 

Greg smiled. "Hello Carnie. My name is Greg and I'm looking to buy a new refrigerator today. I understand you have a sale going on." 

Carnie nodded. "Yes sir Mr. Greg! Just follow me this way." She led him through the store and back to the kitchen appliances section. 

"Jasper should be getting off her break any minute now. She'll be out to help you." Carnie explained. "In the meantime feel free to look around and find one you like. See you around!" And just like that she was gone. 

Greg chuckled and walked through the rows of refrigerators, examining the appliances one by one. He quickly located the few models which were actually on sale and began to examine them more thoroughly, determining which would be the best fit for his home. He was stuck between three models when a person approached from his left. 

He looked at the the person and ended up freezing. Standing before him was a tall woman with dark skin that had patches of white across it. Her eyes were a deep orange and she had beautiful sandy blonde hair that fell down her back in a wild mane. She was wearing a blue vest with the stores logo on it and a name tag that said "HELLO, MY NAME IS Jasper." She looked as if she could lift five of him.

She looked him over before speaking in a gruff voice. "Hello sir, can I help you?" She asked. 

Greg, who was not exactly a small person, felt very small next to this gigantic woman. He cleared his throat. "Um yes, I'm looking for a refrigerator on sale." 

Jasper nodded and looked at the collection. "Well let me tell you, if you're looking for a model that will last you for years to come then you need _this_ refrigerator." She pointed to the one directly in front of Greg. 

"This is a top model that is guaranteed to last and perform perfectly for at least five to ten years." She opened the door. "It comes with a wide array of adjustable shelves, three separate drawers, and has a computer that precisely controls the temperature." She pointed it out. 

Greg looked at the model and hummed softly in thought. "Well it does seem nice." 

Jasper nodded, watching him. She was interested in this man, and he wasn't bad looking at all. There was something about him she found attractive and she was having trouble focusing on the sale. But being the professional she was she carried on.

"It is. And I'll tell you what, if you buy this model today I can get it delivered out to your home next week and have it installed for only fifty dollars more." 

Greg seemed very interested in that. "Well, you're certain this is the best model?"

Jasper gave him a deadpan look and spoke with absolute certainty. "You need this refrigerator." 

Greg smiled and nodded. "It's a deal!" He held a hand out for her to shake. 

She hesitated before extending a hand and taking his in a strong grip, shaking it briefly before pulling back. 

Greg winced slightly as she gripped his hand but soon adopted a smile again. "Alright, where's the paperwork?" 

Jasper led him over to the desk and got the proper papers out. He quickly filled them out while having a short conversation with her, then paid for the refrigerator and the installation service. Once he was done her looked up at her. 

"Thank you very much Jasper. I look forward to seeing you out at the house. Like I said I should be there on Friday in the morning but make sure to call me before you come."

Jasper nodded. "Of course sir. I'll see you then." She filed the papers away and walked him back to the front of the store. "Have a pleasant day." 

Greg smiled. "You too!" He waved as he walked out then continued on his way. 

Carnelian walked up beside Jasper and looked up at her once Greg was out of earshot. "So, he was kinda cute."

A bright blush colored Jasper's cheeks as she looked down at the woman. "I've got work to do." She turned and started to walk away. 

"Yeah girl, you work it!" Carnie teased before returning to her own work, going over to help a couple of customers deciding on a new washing machine.

Jasper shook her head and returned to her section. She felt like an idiot for how she felt, but she couldn't wait to go to Greg's home. She found herself smiling as she went to help another customer who was looking at crockpots. 

Greg hummed softly as he moved back towards the KDNickel's. Jasper had been very helpful and he felt she had been honest. Greg looked forward to having the fridge delivered and wondered if she would be bringing it out herself. He kept moving while he thought but stopped when the smell of the food court met his nose and he was reminded of just how hungry he was. 

He walked into the food court and looked around at the various businesses. There was Fish Stew Pizza, Fryman's, Burger Baron, and a few other places. Greg took a moment to consider what sounded best and also to determine what Steven would enjoy. He finally decided on the burger place and walked over to it. 

There was a small line, not surprising considering how close it was to dinnertime, but it seemed to be moving fast. Soon Greg reached the front of it and smiled at the woman behind the counter. 

She was a young woman with bags under her eyes and a tired expression on her face. Her blue eyes met his briefly before she looked away. Her bright blue hair was hidden under the red cap she wore. As he stepped up to the counter she spoke. 

"Welcome to Burger Baron, home of the Bopper. My name is Lapis. What can I get for you sir?" She sounded tired but she forced a smile. 

Greg smiled back, hoping it would help her feel better. "Hello, my name is Greg." He looked up at the board again to solidify his decision before giving his order to the girl. 

She typed it into the computer. "Did you want anything else sir?" 

Greg looked at her and shook his head. "No, thank you." 

She nodded and sent the order. Greg moved to the side as the next customer came up and gave their order. Greg hummed softly as he waited for his order but his humming was interrupted when the person ordering raised their voice at the girl. 

"Are you deaf? I said a small Bopper with no pickles! Honestly how hard is it to get a simple order correct?" 

Lapis seemed to shrink under the customer's comments but she spoke in a neutral voice. "I'm sorry ma'am, I'll fix it right now."

"You're damn right you will! Honestly, it's no wonder you're paid minimum wage you useless," Greg interrupted her before she could finish. 

"Excuse me ma'am, I don't see any reason for you to talk to her like that. It was an honest mistake and she's going to fix it for you."

The woman narrowed her eyes at Greg. "Butt out buddy, I'm talking to her not you." 

Greg moved a bit to stand closer to Lapis. "True but there's no reason for you to talk down to her. She's trying her best to help you. If you aren't going to talk to her with respect then maybe you shouldn't be talking to her at all." 

The woman seemed absolutely flabbergasted and she looked from Greg to Lapis briefly before scowling. "Whatever weirdo." She turned and stomped away. 

Lapis looked at Greg like he was some sort of saint. "I...” She didn’t know what to say. “Thank you for that." 

Greg smiled. "It was my pleasure."

Lapis gave a genuine smile and looked down. "Stay there for a second please." She quickly walked back into the food prep station and emerged a few moments later with the bag containing his food. She held it out to him. "I threw a few extra fries and another toy in." 

Greg blinked in surprise and accepted the bag. "Thank you, you didn't have to though." 

Lapis looked at him. "I wanted to." She smiled. "Thank you again, have a nice day." 

Greg smiled back. "You too Lapis." He turned and left, happy to have brightened that girl’s day, she seemed like she needed it. 

Greg left through the Nickel's and crossed the street back to Terra. The store had picked up some business in his absence and there was a group of customers at the checkout now. Amethyst didn't even have time to say hello to him as he entered. 

Greg moved through the store and went to the electronics section where a tall black woman with a full afro was selling a game to a customer. She finished up the sale by the time Greg reached her. 

Garnet looked at Greg and smiled. "Hello Greg. Steven went over to the home section about ten minutes ago." She adjusted her sunglasses as she spoke. 

Greg nodded. "Thank you Garnet." He turned to go but was stopped when Garnet touched his shoulder. He turned back to look at her. 

"Greg, I heard you went over to the mall..." She had adopted a neutral expression but Greg could tell she was worried. 

Greg turned back and nodded. "Yes, I already explained to Pearl that I had to buy a new fridge and they had a sale going on." 

Garnet nodded. "I understand. I'm not going to tell you not to shop there but I have to warn you about something. Stay away from the Diamonds. They still hold a grudge against Rose for what happened between her and Pink all those years ago. If they find out you're her husband I don't know what they would do." 

Greg didn't know why it was that Garnet and Pearl were so afraid of the Diamonds and the mall but if it would help them to feel better he would agree. "Alright Garnet, I'll do my best to avoid them if I should ever meet them." 

Garnet nodded. "Thank you." She seemed to relax after he made that promise.

Greg smiled. "I better go find Steven before the food gets cold. I'll see you later." He turned and walked away, going to the home section. 

The store had a surprising amount of items that it carried, some large others small. In the home section were a few of the larger items including some desks, tables, and chairs. Greg spotted Steven in one of the reclining chairs and made his way over. He didn't notice the other person sitting in a chair opposite him until he got close. 

The person sitting in a chair opposite Steven was a mature woman wearing a green jacket. She had a head of wild white hair and looked very thin. The most striking thing about her were her eyes. Her right one was normal with a green iris, but her left one was completely green all the way through with a pupil and iris carved into it. Greg had to take a moment to figure out it was a glass eye as he drew closer. Greg heard the conversation between the two as he came into earshot.

"Thank you for listening Steven. So few people do." 

Steven smiled and nodded. "You're welcome Ms. Peedle. Thank you for the story. It's too bad you don't want to work here, I think you would enjoy it!" 

The woman, Ms. Peedle, chuckled warmly. "Well maybe I will, but I need some more time to think first." 

Steven nodded. "When you do I could put in a word with mom. She loves helping people!" 

She chuckled softly. "Thank you Steven. I'd appreciate it." She stood up and Greg walked over. 

"Hey Shtoo-ball! Who's your friend?" 

Steven looked up at him. "Dad!" He jumped up and ran over to him. He smiled when he noticed the bag. "You brought dinner!" He stopped though and looked back at the woman. "Oh, I’m sorry." He turned towards her and gestured. "This is Ms. Peedle, she was a caplin?" 

She walked over to Greg and spoke. "I was a captain, Steven." She nodded to Greg. "It's very nice to meet you. My name is Cindy Peedle." She held a hand out for Greg to shake. 

Greg took her hand and shook it. Now that he got a good look at her he could see her green jacket was actually an old army jacket. He smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Greg Universe, Steven's dad." 

She nodded and pulled her hand back. "Your son is a very nice young man." She smiled down at him. "He and I have become very good friends." 

Greg nodded. "He's always been very good about making friends." 

She nodded and checked her watch. "I'm sorry but I have to get going. I'll see you again soon Steven." She looked back to Greg. "It was nice to meet you too." She turned and left. 

Greg watched her go then looked to Steven. "Come on, let's go eat in the break room, then we should head home." 

Steven smiled and nodded. "Alright dad." He went to the back of the store and into the break room, followed closely by Greg. They sat down back there and ate, talking about the day. 

Greg told Steven of what had happened at the mall, about the things he had bought and the people he had met. He left out no details, even telling Steven about how he had helped Lapis and about the fridge he had bought. 

Steven told him about what he had done, playing the video game Garnet showed him, helping Pearl to sell a dress, greeting customers for Amethyst. Then he told him about Ms. Peedle. She was a veteran who had been coming into the store for a few weeks now and had slowly opened up to Steven with stories and had even started to tell him about her life. 

They finished the food and left the store, making sure to say goodbye to the girls as they left and headed back home. They started singing on the way, enjoying themselves as they traveled. The day was drawing to a close as they entered the house and settled down for the night.


	2. Steven Goes to the Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie go to the mall to see a movie with Greg acting as a chaperone. They then go exploring and visit a few of the stores inside the mall.

Steven was nervous. It had been a week since he had met Connie and they had become friends. In that short time they had already shared numerous interests and bonded over many things. One such thing that they shared a liking for were books, and quite by chance there was a movie adaptation of a book they both liked showing in theaters right now.

The two of them had quickly planned out going to see the movie and had convinced Steven’s dad to act as a chaperone for them, with the permission of Connie's mother. Now it was only a few hours before they would go to the theater and Steven was both incredibly excited and very nervous. 

His dad walked into the living room and smiled at him. "Hey Shtoo-ball. Are you excited to see that movie today?" 

Steven looked up at his dad and nodded, then he shook his head, then he nodded again, then shook his head. 

His father blinked and tilted his head. "Is that a yes or a no?"

Steven shrugged. "I'm excited but nervous..." 

His father smiled and took a seat in his recliner. "About going to see the movie?" 

Steven nodded. "Connie and I were talking about what the movie could be like and well we think that the movie might be really different from the book." 

Greg nodded. "Oh, the old book-to-screen adaptation worries." He grabbed his guitar from its stand next to his chair and played a couple chords. "I wouldn't worry. The movie might not be the best but you'll never know until you go to see it. Who knows? You might end up enjoying it!" He hummed as he started playing a song. 

Steven listened to his dad and considered his words. "Yeah, maybe it will be good.” He smiled at his father. “Thanks dad!" 

"No problem bud." He looked at his watch. "Oh hey, we better get ready, Connie's gonna be here soon." Greg got up, placing his guitar back on its stand and going to get ready. 

Steven had already gotten ready, he had even packed a few hidden snacks to sneak into the theater. He just had to put on his sandals and he would be ready to go. He double checked his wallet to make sure he had his money then went to check on Lion. 

The large cat was curled up on a windowsill, some of his extra fluff hanging off the edge. He opened a single eye and looked at Steven indifferently as the other approached. He then stretched and rolled onto his back. 

Steven smiled and gently scratched at the scruff of his neck, causing the light red cat to lift his head up in response and lean into the scratches. He purred softly and grabbed at Steven's hand with his paws. 

Steven smiled at the cat. "I filled your bowl a little bit ago Lion, don't eat too much." He pulled his hand from Lion's grasp and the cat stared at him. 

The doorbell rang and Steven went to open it. Connie stood on the other side, wearing a striped shirt and denim overalls. She smiled at him. 

"Hey Steven! Are you ready to see the movie?" She asked, smiling. 

Steven smiled and nodded. "Yeah! It's gonna be great!" He almost forgot his manners. "Please come in, my dad's getting ready then we'll get going." He stepped aside. 

Connie stepped inside and looked around. "Wow, I like your house." 

Steven smiled. "It's pretty nice. We've got a tv, and a microwave, and a cat." He pointed at Lion. 

Connie's eyes widened and she looked at Lion. "Wow. My mom won't let me have animals." She hesitantly held her hand out towards Lion. "Can I pet her?" 

Steven nodded. "Sure, but Lion is a he." He stated. 

Connie blushed lightly and hesitantly pressed her hand against Lion's side. Stars appeared in her eyes. "He's so fluffy!" She exclaimed, petting him slowly. 

"Yep! He's really lazy though." 

Connie smiled. "That's alright." She looked at Steven as she continued to pet Lion. "So what is it we're doing after we see the movie?" 

"Me and Dad thought it would be fun to walk around the mall and look through the shops. It's going to be lunch time too so we should eat." 

Connie nodded and pulled her hand back when Lion suddenly grabbed it, jumping in surprise. 

Steven chuckled. "He's just playing. He likes grabbing hands." 

Connie nodded and smiled, going back to petting Lion and not jumping when he grabbed her hand this time. She giggled happily. 

"Try scratching behind his ear, he loves that." Greg stated as he walked into the room. They didn’t see him come in so they jumped and looked at him. He just smiled at them. "Hello Connie, I'm glad you could make it today." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his wallet and keys from where he had left them on the table.

"Thank you for having me Mr. Universe." Connie smiled and moved away from Lion, holding her hands behind her. 

"Of course!" He walked back into the living room. "If you two are ready let's get going." 

Steven quickly patted down his pants to make sure he had his money then nodded. "I'm ready." 

"I'm ready too." Connie stated. 

They left and got into Greg's van, driving to the mall and going in. They bought their tickets and went into the theater. It was mostly empty save for a few people who had not yet seen the movie and had come to the morning matinee. They picked a row near the middle and put on their 3-D glasses while the film started. 

They film ended two hours later and both Steven and Connie emerged from the theater filled with energy. They were talking excitedly and reenacting some of their favorite scenes from the film. Greg followed behind them, smiling as he watched the two. He had thought the film was fun and inventive, though he hadn't understood some of it as he had not read the book. 

"It's too bad they cut out the sword fight from chapter twenty but I think it was still a really fun movie." Connie stated.

"Yeah, I loved the costumes and settings, they really matched what I pictured when I read the book." Steven smiled. 

"The special effects were nice too." Connie chuckled. "Though that scene with the goblin was a little silly." 

"Yeah but I think that was the point." Steven looked back to Greg. "What did you think dad?" 

"I thought it was good, but you'll have to explain some of what was going on to me later." He rubbed his neck. “I’m afraid some of it went right over my head.” 

Steven nodded. "Sure!" His stomach then growled. He reached his hands down and rubbed at his stomach. "I'm hungry." 

Connie nodded. "Me too." She put a hand over her own stomach. They had eaten the snacks they had brought within the first hour of the film. 

"Well let's go to the food court. We can definitely find something to eat there." Greg suggested. He began walking towards the food court with the two kids walking before him. They moved around, reenacting some of the more exciting action scenes but they made sure not to get in other people's ways. 

They reached the food court and looked around. It was relatively empty since it was a work day for most people. The only group of people there besides them were three cool teenagers who were at a table eating their own lunch and laughing. Steven, Connie, and Greg walked forward and looked at the businesses. 

"So, what would you two like to eat?" Greg asked, waiting for the other two to decide what they wanted. 

"Well my mom says I'm not allowed to eat trans fats so anyplace with a salad should be fine for me." Connie stated. 

Steven pointed to Burger Baron. "How about there? I'm sure they have a salad." 

Greg looked at the place and smiled, noticing that the cashier was the same one which had served him the last time he had been at the mall. He nodded. "That's a good idea Steven." 

The trio went over to Burger Baron and stepped to the counter. Lapis looked up at them with a tired expression. However as soon as she recognized Greg her eyes became wide and she stood up straight. 

"You!" She blushed when she realized her mistake and sputtered for a moment before saying her line. "I mean, welcome to Burger Baron, home of the Bopper. My name is Lapis and I’ll be taking your order today."

Greg smiled. "Hi Lapis, it's good to see you again. I brought my son and his friend today." He gestured to the two children with him. Steven had gone up to the counter and stood on his tiptoes to get a better look at her. 

"Hi I'm Steven!" 

Lapis looked at him. "Um, hi..." 

"I really like your hat!" Steven exclaimed, smiling at her. 

Lapis blushed and looked at her hat, smiling as she reached a hand up to adjust it. "It's a part of our uniform but I make it work." She joked. 

Connie stepped forward. "I'm Connie." She bowed her head to Lapis who nodded and smiled. 

"It's nice to meet you both.” She blinked when she remembered she was at work. “Um, what can I get you?" 

The three each gave her their order and she read it back to make sure it was correct. She then sent it off to the kitchen. 

"Hey Lapis, what's it like working at the Burger Baron?" Steven asked, curious about her work. 

Lapis seemed surprised by his question but she answered regardless. "It's alright... But it's also a bit tiring, and I always smell like fries when I go home." 

Steven nodded and seemed to consider something. "Have you ever thought about working somewhere else?" 

Lapis looked at him and let out a heavy sigh. "I have, I've tried applying to lots of different places but I haven't had any luck." She looked down, depressed at how trapped she felt in this job. She felt like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to spread its wings and fly. 

"Have you ever tried applying at the store across the street?" 

Lapis looked at him in confusion. "The store across the street?" 

Steven nodded. "Yeah! My mom owns it! It's called Terra and it sells a lot of stuff." 

Lapis shook her head. "I didn't even know it existed." 

Steven smiled. "You should try applying! I could even put in a good word for you!" 

Lapis hesitated. "But you don't even know me." 

Steven smiled. "Yeah, but I can tell you're a good person." 

Lapis blushed and looked away. “I’ll be right back.” She went into the back and returned a few moments later with their food on a tray. She set the tray in the pickup area. "Enjoy your meal." 

Greg took the food. "Thank you Lapis." 

She nodded and went to help the person in back. The trio sat down and ate. After they were done they went walking through the mall. 

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go first Connie?" Steven asked, looking around at the various stores. He loved exploring new places and he had never been in most of the stores in the mall. 

Connie looked around, pondering the shops before spotting one that really grabbed her interest. She pointed to a Burns and Nimble, a book store resting near the end of the section they were walking in. 

Steven smiled. "Oh good idea!" 

Greg smiled. "Well let's head in there." They all moved towards the store and walked inside. The first thing they saw upon entering were two women working together to set up a stand. 

The one standing on the floor was white with blonde spiked hair. She wore khaki pants and a pretty yellow blouse along with a lanyard around her neck which had her work I.D. hanging from it, there was also a necklace with a square yellow stone. She was directing the other woman, a girl with brown skin who was dressed in jeans and a blue sweater, her hair hung down, pulled to the side by clips which had small blue stones on them and she wore a pair of glasses with circular lenses. The woman in blue was standing on top of a stepladder, carefully setting up a piece of cardboard on top of the display while the other told her if it was straight or not. 

The woman setting up the display was the first to notice the the customers and she quickly whispered to the other. The woman in yellow turned and smiled at the group. She walked over to them, holding her hands together. 

"Hello and welcome to Burns and Nimble. I'm Yvette, the manager. Is there anything I can help you find today?" 

Connie spoke up immediately. "Do you carry the Unfamiliar Familiar series?" 

Yvette looked at her and smiled. "Of course! Right this way." She walked Connie into the store, taking her to the fiction section and helping her to find the series. 

The woman in Blue looked at Greg and Steven who were still standing there. "Sorry about this, I'll be right down, just need to get this fixed first." She struggled to get the display into the proper place. 

"It's no problem. You're just doing your job." Greg stated. 

She smiled. "Thank you for understanding." She stopped moving it. "Does that look straight to you?" 

Greg nodded. "It looks good from where I’m standing." 

She stepped down and wiped her hands on her jeans, moving to get a good look at the display. "Yes, that looks very good." She turned and held her hands together. "Thank you for your patience. My name is Bonnie, how can I help you today?" 

"Can you direct me to your music section?" Greg asked.

"Of course sir, right this way." She walked him over to the music section. Greg immediately began looking through the titles, looking for something that spiked his interest. 

The employee turned her attention to Steven next. "Is there anything you're looking for young man?" 

Steven looked around at the store before answering. "I'd like to see your books on art." 

She smiled and led him over to the art section. "I used to be very interested in art myself, when I was in high school." She ran a hand along the shelves. "Is there anything I can help you to find?" 

Steven looked around. "Do you have books about sketching?"

She nodded and helped him to locate them. "Are you interested in becoming an artist?" 

Steven smiled. "Maybe, I'm not sure yet." 

She smiled. "Well I hope you enjoy whatever you do choose.” She gestured to the books. “We have all manner of sketching books, ones that show you how to draw figures, landscapes, creatures, even some for aliens. Is there anything else I can do to help you?”

Steven looked up at her and smiled. “No, thank you though Miss Bonnie.”

She nodded and left him to look through the books, going back to finish setting up the display.

Steven began to rifle through the books slowly, looking at some of the ones which were about drawing landscapes and people. During his search Connie came over to him, carrying a book that had all sorts of information about the Unfamiliar Familiar series such as information about characters and places in the book. 

Connie began to show him things in the book, telling him about the series but trying not to spoil anything since he was still working his way through the books. Steven in turn showed her some of the books he was interested in, things about sketching trees and flowers. 

Eventually Greg made his way over to them and smiled when he saw them together laughing and talking. "How’s your search going?" 

"It's going great Mr. Universe!" Connie exclaimed, clutching the book to get chest. "I think I'm ready to go." 

Greg nodded. "How about you Steven?" 

Steven smiled. "I'm ready, but I couldn't find anything." He had in fact found a few books he was interested in but they cost too much. 

Greg nodded. "Too bad. Let's go buy your book Connie, then we can go to the next shop." They made their way to the front and Yvette helped them to get checked out. They waved goodbye to her and to Bonnie as they left the store. 

The next place they headed to the toy shop. They went into the store and looked around at their selection. They were approached here by a large woman wearing a big smile that displayed teeth that looked almost sharp. She had a stud on her left cheek. "Hey there! Welcome to the shop! I'm Cheryl, is there anything I can help you to find?" 

Steven looked up at her in surprise. "You're really big." 

Greg frowned. "Steven, that's rude."

Cheryl chuckled. "I don't mind." She rolled back the sleeve of one arm and flexed her muscles, her bicep bulged. "Besides, I am pretty big." 

Greg smiled awkwardly and chuckled. "I think we'll just browse for now. Thank you Cheryl." 

She nodded. "No problem, just come to me with any questions or concerns."

They walked around the small store and played with the things on display. 

Connie became interested in the puzzle games. She began to work at solving the one on display. Steven browsed through the board games. 

Greg eventually offered to buy each of them something small. Connie went with a small puzzle toy and Steven went with a card game. They bought the items and left. 

It was starting to grow late into the afternoon now but Greg had one final destination he wanted to take Steven to. They walked to the Pear store and went in. They were immediately approached by a girl with blonde hair that was cut short and had an almost square shape to it. She had very light freckles on her cheeks and she had a patch over her left eye. She was dressed in a polo shirt with the store's logo and green shorts. 

"Hello sir, how can I help you?" She spoke with a nasally voice. 

Greg had to do a double take when he looked at her. She was incredibly similar to that girl he had met the other day in the media store. He smiled. "Hello, I'm Greg Universe, this is my son. We'd like to see your phones." 

Steven looked up at his father in surprise. "Really dad?" His dad and mom had been talking recently about getting a phone for Steven but he didn’t think it would be happening so soon. 

Greg smiled. "Maybe, but we're just looking for now." 

Steven turned to Connie and started talking with her excitedly about what it would be like to have his own phone. Connie seemed excited as well as she talked to him about the possibilities. The girl helping them watched the exchange for a moment before speaking. 

"Right, I'll refer you to our saleswoman." She used her tablet to send a message then looked at them. "Feel free to look around while you wait." She walked away, going to a desk and typing something into the computer there. 

Greg, Steven, and Connie walked around the store, looking at the various phones, tablets, and computers. They picked up the items and played some games on them. They were soon approached by the saleswoman. Greg was surprised to find that it was that woman who had helped him the other day. He was also surprised to see that she had a prosthetic in place of her right leg. 

Peridot stopped when she saw him and blinked in surprise. "You!" She pointed. 

Greg smiled. "Hello Peridot. I didn't know you worked here too."

Peridot became a little flustered. "I work at a few stores in this mall. I've got to pay the bills and one job just doesn't cut it." 

Greg nodded. "I understand that all too well." He smiled. "Oh let me introduce you to my son. Steven!" He called to his son who was investigating the apps on a tablet. He quickly moved over to his father when called and stood beside him. 

Greg patted his sons head. "This is Steven, my son." 

Steven smiled. "Hi! It's nice to meet you."

Peridot hesitated before giving a short wave. "Hello." 

Steven tilted his head. "You look like that other woman who was just helping us." 

Peridot flushed. "That's my older sister, she's the manager here. She's a bit of a," she paused before continuing, remembering she was talking to a child, "a clod." 

Greg smiled. "Well let's look at phones." 

Peridot nodded. "Right, um, let's start with the latest model." She led them to the display and picked up the phone, showing it to them. 

Connie came over when she noticed them looking at phones. 

Steven quickly got Peridot's attention and gestured to Connie. "This is my friend Connie." 

Connie gave a shy wave. "Hi..." 

Peridot waved back awkwardly. "Um hello..." She slowly continued, explaining things about the phone and why it was better than the other models. She continued, showing them the other models and explaining things about them. 

Soon they were on the older model. "So this is the uphone 4J. It's a little older but it works well and can use most of the apps that the others do. It has a little less memory but is no less powerful."

Steven picked one up and inspected it. "I like this one, does it come in other colors?" 

Peridot nodded. "Yeah, of course, and you can personalize it with your protector too." 

Steven smiled. "Awesome!" He flipped through it, looking at the apps and things on display. 

Peridot nodded. "Yeah, it is kind of awesome I guess... Um do you want to know about our sale going on right now?” 

Greg looked at her. “No, can you tell me?” 

Peridot quickly went through the details of the sale, telling Greg everything she could. She was hoping she could get him to either buy a phone now or come back soon and get one. She soon finished telling him about the sale. "So what do you think?" 

Greg stared at her, processing what she had told him. “Well it sounds like a good deal. I think I’ll take Steven home and discuss it with his mother then we might come back.” 

Peridot nodded. “Yes, please do.” She really needed more sales, they helped her to earn just a bit more that she needed. 

Greg put a hand on Steven’s shoulder. “What do you think bud?” 

Steven smiled. “I like this phone, it’s really cool!” 

Connie smiled and nodded. “Yeah, and if you get a phone we can talk to each other all the time.” 

Greg nodded. “Thank you for helping us Peridot.” 

Peridot nodded. “Um, no problem.” She cleared her throat. “I’m here on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Fridays if you want to come back and have me help you again.”

Greg smiled. “Great! We’ll try to come back on one of those days.” 

Peridot smiled despite herself and nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you then.” 

Greg nodded. “Of course.” He turned his focus back to the kids who were talking excitedly about the phones and the technology. He took them and led them from the store. 

Peridot’s sister approached her once they had left. “Another lost sale sis?” 

Peridot scowled at her. “They are going to come back.” 

She rolled her eye. “Uh-huh, sure they are.” 

“Don’t you have something you’re supposed to be doing, Ms. Manager?” Peridot quickly grew tired of her sister’s antics. 

Her sister nodded. “Yeah, sure.” She left her. 

Peridot took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the next few hours. She needed this job, needed to be able to afford the rent for her place. She went to the desk and began filling out a form until the next customer came in, she quickly went to help them. 

Greg looked at the two children as he walked out into the parking lot. “Well that was a pretty good day wasn’t it?” 

Steven nodded. “Yeah! A movie then a new game and I might even be getting a phone!” 

Connie nodded. “Thank you again for taking me Mr. Universe.” 

Greg smiled. “You’re very welcome Connie. Make sure to thank your mother for letting you come when you get home too.” 

Connie nodded. They started telling jokes as they got into the car and drove off, heading towards Connie’s home to drop her off before they would head back to their own residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of filler and setup for later stuff. That being said I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> Look forward to next chapter when Jasper delivers and installs the fridge at Greg's house.


	3. Homeworld Trio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper delivers the fridge to Greg's home, Lapis applies for a job with the crystal gems, Peridot considers her options, and a dark figure plots her revenge.

-Jasper-

Jasper took a deep breath as she pulled up to the house of Greg Universe. She was driving the delivery truck that belonged to her workplace. She had only the one delivery and installation that day but she was very nervous about it, and she had no idea why. She ran her fingers through her hair and pulled down the visor in the vehicle, opening the small mirror to look at herself. She looked like she normally did, the strips of white skin across her nose, the natural sandy locks that framed her head, the amber eyes. She barely wore any makeup aside from her winged eyelashes. She ran a hand through her hair briefly. 

She turned off the vehicle and climbed out. She took the time to look at the house. It was a single story building that fit in perfectly with the environment around it, that of a beach with some hills in the background. The beach had a handful of other homes on it but only one of them was close to this one and it was set up differently. The house before her looked barely big enough for one family. She turned her mind to the task at hand. She just had to get this finished and she would be done for the day. She walked around to the back of the truck and opened it up. 

After she got the ramp set up she took the dolly from its secure place on the wall and moved it where the refrigerator was strapped on the side. She carefully put the dolly under the fridge and used a strap to secure it. She could probably have carried the entire appliance on her shoulders but she had to stick to safety regulations. She wheeled the fridge out and down to the beach, taking it to the front door and ringing the doorbell. She pulled out her phone a moment later so she could have the “Delivery & Installation” sheet signed as soon as the door was answered. 

It took only a few moments for the door to be opened but Jasper was surprised when it was not opened by Greg but rather a small boy with black curly hair and curious eyes. He smiled at her. “Hi there, I’m Steven. Can I help you?” Jasper thought the boy looked familiar for some reason. 

She hesitated before answering. “I’m Jasper, I’ve got a delivery for Greg Universe. Is this his home?” She looked past the boy and into the house, expecting to see Greg or some indication that this was the right place. 

Steven nodded. “Yeah! He's working on the sink in his bedroom. I’m his son, Steven.”

That surprised Jasper. She hasn’t seen any wedding band on Greg's finger when she was selling him the refrigerator and so she thought he wasn’t married and therefore had no children. She mentally hit herself for assuming so much about a man she barely knew. 

“Good. I've brought his refrigerator. Can you get him for me? I need him to sign this before I can get started.” She showed him the electronic contract. 

Steven nodded. “Sure,” he opened the door wide for her. “Come on in, I’ll be right back.” 

She hesitated before wheeling the heavy kitchen appliance through the doorway and standing in the living room. She looked around at the home. It was average with a couch, recliner, tv, and a guitar on a stand. There was even a cat laying in the middle of the room. She sighed softly. She began to think about the last time she had been in a place like this. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably, trying to get used to it. 

Jasper lived in a single apartment, it was small but comfortable. She had lived there since she had moved out of her family's home a couple years previously. The last time she had even been in anything similar to the surroundings she was in now was when she had been dating Persimmon Diamond. That woman had been one of the best things to ever happen to her, but now she was gone, and Jasper had no idea why. She did know that the other Diamond sisters thought the one responsible was a woman by the name of Rose Quartz. Jasper had never tried to confront that woman, but she had wanted to, every day since Persimmon’s disappearance she had wanted to march over to that store across the street, throw down the door of her office, and make that woman tell her what had happened to Persimmon. But she knew that wouldn’t solve anything, and that Persimmon wouldn't want her to do that either. 

That was another reason she was so nervous. She had been thinking about Greg ever since she had helped him in the store. She didn’t know why but his presence had filled her with a sense of ease, one she had not felt for a long time. She had been considering asking him out all week but she was more hesitant now that she knew he had a son. She didn’t even know if he was married or not. 

Greg finally emerged from the hallway. He was dressed in just a white undershirt and jeans and was wiping his hands, which were covered in grease, on a dirty rag. He smiled at her, his brow covered in sweat. “Hi there. Your name was Jasper right?” He had remembered her name. She nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m here to deliver and install your fridge, I just need a signature before I can get started.” In truth she didn’t actually need the signature until the installation was done but it was easier to get it first. She held the phone and accompanying stylus out for him to take.

The little boy, Steven he said his name was, walked out behind Greg but quickly moved to stand beside him. Greg stepped forward. “Right, of course.” He took the phone and stylus from her and quickly put his signature on it the screen. “There you go.” He smiled and took a step back. 

“I assume you met my son Steven?” He gestured to the boy who moved forward and craned his head back to look up at Jasper. He smiled. 

She looked at Greg and nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know you had a son.” 

Greg chuckled. “Well He’s not just mine. He really takes after his mother don’t you Steven?” 

Steven smiled and nodded. “Yeah, my mom is really cool.”

Jasper felt her heart sink. She could assume from how the two talked about her that Steven's mother was alive and probably married to Greg. “I see. Well I’ll get started on the installation now if you'd like.”

Greg smiled and nodded. “Right. Do you mind if Steven keeps you company? He won’t get in your way.”

“Yeah, I’ll just watch you and help if I can.”

“You see the water in the bathroom isn’t working and I’m afraid I’ve got to fix it. I should be done before too much longer though.”

Jasper hesitated. She had never been very good with children, maybe if the kid just sat in the corner and let her work everything would be fine. She nodded. “Sure, as long as he doesn’t get in the way.” She really didn’t want him to watch her but she would allow it for now. 

Steven smiled and followed Jasper as she wheeled the refrigerator into the kitchen. The kitchen was small, big enough for maybe two people to stand in at the same time, and even then she imagined they would bump into each other a lot. Jasper quickly noticed the spot against the wall where the appliance would go and wheeled it into place. She made certain it was positioned correctly before unlatching it from the dolly and pulling the piece of equipment away. She put it back in the living room where it would be out of her way while she worked then moved behind the fridge. 

Steven moved and sat on a counter where he could observe her. He swung his feet idly and hummed a soft tune to himself. “Miss Jasper, how did you start working at Zears?” He eventually asked after a few minutes, growing bored with just sitting there. 

Jasper looked at him from behind the refrigerator. She considered telling him to be quiet but maybe the talk would actually help her nerves. “I applied to work there a couple years ago. I was working at a construction company before that but it was tough work and I wanted something more stable, so I applied and was hired.” There were other reasons too, like her foreman being a jerk and how out of place she felt in the construction industry, but that was her problem, not this kids. 

Steven smiled. “Wow you were a construction worker? No wonder you look so strong!” 

Jasper nodded, focusing on hooking up the fridge correctly. “I work out. Go to the gym every other day and train at home as well. I can bench five hundred easy.” She was proud of her body and all the work she had put into it. She had grown up with self-conscious feelings as a result of people in her school making fun of her for her skin and his stocky she was. So she had worked to make herself stronger so nobody would make fun of her.

“Do you play any sports?” Steven asked, his curiosity about this woman was only growing. 

Jasper finally finished the hookup and moved around to the front of the fridge. “Yeah, I played football in high school.” She was getting tired of talking about herself. “What about you? Do you like living here?” 

“Yeah, it's really nice living on a beach. You can go swimming whenever you want and the sun always shines. Dad and Mom work really hard to keep our home in good condition too.” 

Jasper carefully grabbed the front of the fridge. “Who's your mom? I don’t think I’ve met her.” She lifted the fridge and moved it back into the space. 

“My mom is Rose Quartz.” Steven exclaimed, smiling. 

Jasper froze, letting go of the fridge and turning to look at Steven. She looked him over. She had thought something about him looked familiar, she had thought it was simply a likeness to Greg but now that she looked closer she could see the shape of his face, the eagerness in his eyes, the energy that she recognized belonging to Rose Quartz. She began to take deep breaths and clenched her hand.

She couldn’t believe it. She was in Rose’s home, talking to his son, she had been attracted to her husband… She felt sick. 

Steven seemed to notice because his expression changed to one of concern and he held a hand out towards her. “Jasper? Are you okay?” 

Jasper looked at Steven with a cold expression. She felt a growl begin to grow in the back of her throat. She put a hand over her face and forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths and counting to ten in her head. She never liked her temper, it was one of her weaknesses, it had made her lash out at others, made her hurt people. She waited until she had calmed down before looking at Steven.

Steven was watching her with a worried expression. “Jasper, are you okay?” He asked again. Jasper’s brow furrowed in confusion and annoyance. 

“I’m fine!” She turned back to the fridge and pushed it into place, leaning against it. “I’m just,” she paused, trying to decide what to say, “I’m just a little winded.” 

Steven got up and walked out of the kitchen. He came back a moment later with a bottle of water and held it out to her. “Here, this should help.” 

Jasper looked at the bottle like it was a snake trying to bite her. She reluctantly took it and drank slowly, glancing at Rose’s son as she did. After she had her drink she looked at him. “Thank you… can you go fetch your father please. I’m nearly done but I need him for the next part.”

Steven smiled and saluted. “Yes ma'am!” He left her to do as she asked. 

As soon as he was out of sight Jasper slammed her fist into her leg. “Dammit! Keep it together,” she whispered to herself. She had to think her way through this, but first she had to finish getting the fridge set up. She opened it and checked to make sure it was producing a cold environment and that the lights worked. She focused on the settings next. 

Greg entered the kitchen a moment later. “Hey Jasper, Steven said you needed me for something?” 

Jasper looked at him. “Yes, Greg, I need to know what settings you want the fridge at. I figured we could just do this while I’m here.” 

Greg smiled and nodded. “Of course.” They spent a few minutes adjusting the settings on the fridge. After that Jasper showed Greg some of the features and guided him through how to make water and ice come from the door. As they worked Jasper studied Greg, she didn't understand it, how could this man be with a woman like Rose Quartz, it defied all reason. They soon finished the settings for the fridge.

After they were finished Greg smiled and held a hand out towards Jasper. “Thanks for your help!” 

Jasper hesitantly took his hand and shook it. She looked at him seriously. “Greg, can we talk outside?” Greg seemed surprised but he agreed and followed her out. Jasper grabbed the dolly on the way and took it to the truck. Once there she secured it in the back.

“So what was it you wanted to speak with me about Jasper?” Greg asked. He stood outside the truck, watching her. 

Jasper finished securing the dolly and walked to the back of the truck. “It's more of a question, I hope you will be able to answer it…” She hopped down and closed the truck, locking it. “Do you know who Persimmon Diamond was?”

Greg started at the question, completely taken off guard. “Persimmon Diamond?” He seemed to be sweating. “I know who she was, a philanthropist, a woman of ambition…” Greg looked at Jasper. He seemed to know what this was really about. “But ask what you really want to know.”

Jasper scowled. “Did your wife kill her?” 

Greg sighed. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that over the years. I used to flounder at first, unsure of how to answer, so I finally asked Rose about what happened. She wouldn’t tell me. So I’ll tell you what I tell everybody else. No. My wife would never hurt anyone.”

Jasper punched the back of the truck, causing the door to shudder. “Don’t lie to me! Tell me the truth, I don’t care what it is, I just need to know…” Jasper felt the tears rolling down her cheeks a few moments later. She reached a hand up and wiped them away frantically. “Dammit!” 

Greg jumped when Jasper hit the truck. His face quickly changed to a look of fright and then to one of concern when he saw her crying. He held a hand out towards her. “Jasper, are you okay?”

Jasper smacked his hand away. “No! The woman I loved has been gone for years! I’m not okay!” She felt herself shaking. She grabbed onto the side of the truck. She had to take a moment to gain a fraction of her composure. “Please… Please just tell me.” 

Greg looked down and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I’ve asked Rose, time and time again, she won’t tell me what happened between her and Pink. All I know is that Rose never talks about her like she’s dead… If you really want to know what happened you’ll have to ask her.” 

Jasper looked away. “Fine then.” She growled. “I hope I never see you or your son again.” She pushed past him and headed towards the driver’s seat of the truck. 

Greg followed her. “Thank you for installing the fridge. I’m sorry again…” He turned and walked away, not wanting to bother her anymore. 

Jasper didn’t look at him again. She turned on the truck and pulled away, going down the road, trying to get as far from the house as she could. She stopped partway down the road and pulled to the side. She fought the tears as they came to her eyes, she lost, crying as she thought of Pink, of how she had lost her, how she had mourned her. She made a decision there in that moment. She would find out what had happened to the love of her life, no matter what. 

-Lapis-

Lapis Lazuli didn’t consider herself a weak woman. She had gone through hell and high water in her early years, suffering at the hands of her parents until she was old enough to escape. She had fled to college, trying to study the arts like she had always dreamed of, but her bills began to pile up and she soon had to drop out or risk being overwhelmed by debt. She had fled to this small town near the beach and had been here for years now, doing what little she could to survive in the unforgiving world. 

She had always felt trapped, like she couldn’t ever really escape this prison that was life. She had been fighting to get out but to no success. She was trapped in a dead end job, looked down on by people who considered her trash, it was maddening. Then she had met people who treated her like a person, a man and his son, both laughed and talked to her like she wasn’t just some creature made to serve them food. Then the boy had offered her a way out. 

Lapis stood outside of the store called Terra and looked up at it. It didn’t look especially impressive, when compared to the mall it was really kind of small and ugly. Lapis hugged herself, considering just running away and never looking back. Maybe she didn’t deserve to work anywhere but at that place. Maybe that was to be her prison. 

“Lapis?” A voice spoke to her, it was familiar and made her jump in surprise. She looked down and saw the boy named Steven. He was looking up at her in surprise but a smile quickly decorated his features. “Hey, it’s me Steven! You look really pretty in that dress.”

Lapis looked at her blue sundress. It had a pattern on the front like a diamond. She didn’t think it was anything special but she still found herself smiling. The other’s mood was so infectious. She blushed lightly. “Thank you. I like your shirt.”

Steven pulled at his red shirt with the yellow star emblazoned on the front. He chuckled. “Thanks!” A thought occurred to him. “Wait, are you here to apply for a job?” 

Lapis looked down at her sandals and brushed her feet together nervously. “I was thinking about it, but I’m not sure if I’m good enough to work here.” 

Steven moved up and touched her hand. “I’m sure you’d be a perfect fit. Come on! I’ll introduce you to Pearl and help to get you that interview!” He pulled at her arm, dragging her into the store. She was surprised by his strength and she stumbled a moment before following. 

Steven led her through the store. As she moved Lapis got to look around at the store. It was small, filled with various items to sell and having a few small departments, there weren’t many customers around, and there were hardly any employees either. After a bit of walking they reached a section selling home goods, things like towels, furniture, candles, plates, and some other things. Steven pulled Lapis up to a thin woman with pale pink hair. She turned and smiled at Steven but the smile quickly turned to a look of puzzlement when she spotted Lapis. 

Steven finally stopped and smiled up at the woman. “Hi Pearl!” 

Pearl smiled. “Greetings Steven. Please don’t shout in the store.” 

Steven became bashful. “Oh, sorry.” He looked down. 

Pearl smiled. “It's perfectly alright. Now, why don’t you introduce me to your friend?” She gestured to Lapis. 

Steven stepped back and took a hold of Lapis’ hand again. “This is Lapis. She's looking for a job.” 

Pearl seemed surprised by that and looked up at Lapis. “Really?”

Lapis took a deep breath and stepped forward, holding her hand out towards Pearl. “My name is Lapis Lazuli and I'd like to work here miss.” 

Pearl regarded the hand for a brief moment before shaking it. “Very well. Give me just a few moments to get somebody to watch my section then we can have out interview.” 

Lapis nodded and gripped at her dress nervously. “Thank you miss.” 

Pearl nodded. “Steven, please show her to the office, I’ll conduct the interview there.”

Steven gave her an affirmation then took Lapis' hand and led her further into the store until they reached an office in the back. Once there Steven had her sit down in a chair and then sat beside her. 

“That woman, she seemed very… prudish.” Lapis stated. 

Steven giggled. “She's always like that. But she's really nice deep down and she always does her best to encourage others.” He insisted. 

Lapis nodded and then sat in silence, planning out how the interview would go in her head and preparing her responses already. After so many applications at other jobs she had a lot of experience with interviews, but that didn’t make her any less nervous. 

Steven eventually stood up. “Excuse me but I have to get going. My mom promised we would go to the community gardens today. I hope you get the job though, I’d like to see you working someplace where you can smile.”

Lapis looked at Steven in surprise but nodded. “Thank you Steven.” She smiled a little despite herself and waved as he left her, going to a large woman with beautiful pink hair. Lapis couldn’t quite make out the woman's face but she could see her smile as the woman lifted Steven into the air and brought him into a loving hug. The two left, walking towards the front of the store and soon passing out of sight completely. 

Pearl arrived at the back a few moments later, a look of complete seriousness decorated her features. She had grabbed a clipboard at some point and held it in one hand as she moved to stand before Lapis. “If you’re ready let us go into the office and begin.”

Lapis hesitantly rose and nodded. She took one final breath before steeling her nerves and nodding, taking on a more serious demeanor. “I’m ready.” 

Pearl led her back into the office and closed the door behind her. After they both took their seats the interview began. 

-Peridot-

Peridot groaned as she sipped down her third cup of coffee. It was one of her few and blessed days off from work and she had been spending the better part of the day trying to wake herself up enough to properly focus on the tasks she had to perform. Her corgi, Pumpkin, came up and put his front paws on her leg, looking up at her with a curious expression. 

Peridot smiled slightly as she lowered a hand to his head and scratched behind his ears, causing the little dog to display a doggy grin and tilt his head against her hand. After she pulled her hand away he jumped up onto the couch and moved to lay with his head on her lap. 

Peridot chuckled softly and began to pet him slowly as she lifted up her notepad. She had been going over her expenses for the last few months and could tell that between what she was making and how much she had to pay each month she was just barely scraping by. She looked down at her dog and sighed. 

“Well boy, what are we going to do?” 

Pumpkin lifted his head and tilted it, causing his ears to flop to the side. He nudged at her stomach with his nose. 

She nodded. “You’re right of course, we can’t keep going like this, I've barely got enough to feed both of us and make the rent on this place. Even working three jobs I’m not making enough.” She set the paper down and then frowned as her hand began to shake. She set the coffee cup down and grabbed the hand, rubbing it. 

“The lack of sleep seems to be having an adverse effect on my health as well. Even with the coffee I’m having trouble keeping myself awake.” She lifted her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. Pumpkin whined softly in response and licked the hand closest to him. 

Peridot went back to petting him. “I think that there are currently three solutions to our conundrum. Either I find a new place with cheaper rent that will also allow me to have pets, get a better paying job, or I find a roommate.” 

Pumpkin barked at that. Peridot chuckled. “Sorry, another roommate. Preferably one with a source of income, unlike you,” she lifted the pup up so she could look him in the eye. “You freeloader.” She glared softly. 

Pumpkin just panted and leaned forward to cover her face in doggy kisses. Her resolve quickly fell under his assault and she hugged him close. “Why can’t I stay mad at you?”  
Pumpkin nuzzled against her and licked her cheek. After she pulled away he moved to lay in her lap again. She went back to petting him. 

“We'll figure something out boy.” Her mind began to work, deciding how best to go about tackling this issue. She slowly leaned back and began to doze off as she thought, taking a short nap. 

-Lapis-

Lapis stepped out of the office with a stunned look on her face. Pearl followed, closing the door behind her. “Alright Miss Lazuli, thank you for the interview. I think that you will be a perfect fit for the store and I’m excited to have you become a part of the team.” She smiled and held a hand out for the young lady to shake. 

Lapis looked at the hand briefly before grabbing it and shaking, not losing the stunned look. “Thank you.” She couldn’t believe it, after months of interviews, being rejected time and time again she had finally found a place that wanted to hire her. She kept shaking Pearl's hand for longer than she should have and blushed when she realized, quickly pulling her hand back. “I’m sorry!”

Pearl chuckled. “It's perfectly alright, I can tell you’re enthusiastic to get started.” She flipped through the papers on her clipboard until she found the one she was looking for. “Tell me how does Tuesday of next week sound to you?” 

Lapis smiled, fighting back tears of happiness. “That sounds great.” 

Pearl nodded. “Excellent. Please be here at seven a.m. to get started. Garnet will be seeing to your training and we'll have your uniform ready for you. If anything should happen that would cause you to be unable to begin working on that day simply give us a call at this number.” She held out a business card which Lapis quickly took. 

Lapis looked at the card, it was a simple design with bold letters and had Pearls name, a telephone number, and the address of the store written on it. She quickly tucked it into her purse. “Thank you again.”

Pearl nodded. “Quite alright, quite alright.” She waved her hand. “For now why don’t you go home and get some rest? You look like you could use it.” 

Lapis nodded. “Yes, yes I think I will. Have a nice day.” She turned and walked briskly, heading out of the store. A smile was plastered across her features as she moved down the sidewalk, unable to believe she had actually done it. She felt like she was flying. She went home excited to quite that horrible job at the mall and start her new one at the store called Terra. She felt like things were finally starting to look up for her. 

-The Boss-

The woman pressed the button on her phone, dialing her secretary. The phone was answered before the first ring even finished. “Yes ma'am?” 

The woman pressed the tips of her fingers together and leaned back in her chair. “I’d like to call a board meeting for later this week. We need to begin planning for the holiday rush. Do you understand?”

“Yes Miss Diamond, I’ll get it organized.” Her secretary responded.

Yasmine Diamond nodded and stared at the phone with a cold, calculating gaze. “Good. I want everything to be ready. We cannot afford to fall behind this year.” 

“I understand miss.” There was a pause. “Do you still want that report on the Terra store?” 

Yasmine’s face showed the briefest glimpse of a scowl at the mention of that store and she was glad that the other could not see her face. She kept her voice neutral as she responded. “Yes, have it delivered to my office as soon as it is finished.” 

She hung up on the other after saying that and slowly stood. She walked over to the window on the side of her office and pushed apart two of the blinds to look out across the parking lot at Terra. She clenched her free hand into a fist and took a few deep breaths. She could not allow this to register on an emotional level. 

She looked at a picture on her desk. The picture displayed four women, all of them smiling, standing out on a sunny day and posing for a picture. Yasmine picked up the picture and focused on one figure in particular, the one dressed in pink. 

“What would you say if you were here now?” She pondered aloud. She set the picture down with great care. “You would probably disagree with what we have done, how we have changed… but you were always different.” She raised a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “I won’t stop now, I can’t.” She sat down again and pulled open the files on her computer files. “I’m sorry sister.” 

She opened a file on Terra and read through it, going deep into thought about what her next move would be against the business and its owner. The horrible Rose Quartz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally intending for this to just be a story about Jasper but it ended up being too short so I added in a few more important developments. 
> 
> The next story will be focusing on the crystal gems and their daily struggles.


	4. Terra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crystal gems at work.

Pearl walked into the store and clocked in. She was right on time of course, she was always on time. She went to check the schedule and saw that the new girl, Lapis, was starting her work today. She moved on to the stockroom and went over the manifest for the items, ensuring they had everything they would need for the next few days. 

Pearl was directly in charge of the home department, she ensured that her section always had items and that it was clean and well cared for, but she was also an assistant manager for the store. As such she took it upon herself to check and double check everything to ensure it was perfect. She began moving around the store and turning on the lights and the air conditioning. It was starting to drift into the fall season but it was still warm outside so she elected to keep the air running. She then went through the security cameras in the office, making certain each worked correctly. She then tested the intercom system and turned on the music that would play softly throughout the store as the day went on. 

Once she was done with her preliminary checklist she unlocked the main doors and waited for the other employees to arrive. Garnet was the first. The woman was in charge of the electronics section and as soon as she was clocked in she went into her section and turned on the few televisions and games that were on display. Garnet was another assistant manager for the store, she often spent her time ensuring the security of the store and keeping watch over the employees. She waved to Pearl when she saw her before returning to work. She organized the shelves which were stocked with small electronics, flashlights, radios, headphones, and other things were quickly put into their proper places. 

After Garnet finished her job she went to the break room and brewed a fresh pot of coffee for everybody, taking a cup for herself and adding some cream. She went to take care of restocking next, moving the cart with her replacement items out and filling the shelves. 

The next person to arrive was Amethyst. She immediately went and got a cup of coffee after clocking in. She took the coffee with her to the registers and turned them all on. She worked on restocking the bags at each register and ensuring all the equipment was working right. Once she was done she sat in her chair and relaxed while waiting for other employees to show up. While she was waiting Pearl approached her. 

Amethyst knew Pearl didn’t approve of her “slacking off”, no matter how dead business was, but she couldn’t care less. Still she was surprised when she didn't see the normal look of annoyance on Pearl’s face. Maybe she wasn’t coming to chastise her for once. 

Pearl stopped in front of her and cleared her throat, putting her hands on her hips and waiting for Amethyst to stand up. Amethyst did so and saluted to make fun of the other. She saw Pearl roll her eyes and smirked. 

“You should know that we're having some maintenance done today,” Pearl finally said. “With the holiday season coming up we need to be ready for anything. Bismuth will be in some time this morning to get started.”

Amethyst smiled at that. She hadn’t known Bismuth very long but she liked the girl's sense of humor and her great attitude. She had also noticed how Pearl’s mood seemed to improve whenever Bismuth was around. 

Pearl cleared her throat. “So when she gets here send her to see me right away and I’ll get her started.” She looked at Amethyst. “Have you got that?”

Amethyst nodded. “Sure, Bismuth is coming. When she gets here send her back to your section and you’ll work her over.” She smirked at the joke. 

Pearl blushed. “I didn’t mean it like that…” She always got flustered so easily, especially when it came to things like relationships and big strong women. 

Amethyst smiled. “Why don’t you just ask her out P? I bet she’d say yes, I bet you'd have a pretty good time too.” Amethyst liked to tease Pearl but she still considered her a friend and wanted to help her. 

Pearl’s blush didn’t go away. “Don't be ridiculous! She's just a good friend I couldn't…” she seemed to consider it though. “Do you think she really would?” She spoke softly despite the lack of people around. 

Amethyst smiled and nodded. “Yeah! I think she likes you, besides she's pretty cool.” 

Pearl looked down, rubbing her hands together nervously. “I’ll think about it.” She looked at Amethyst again. “There’s a new girl coming in as well. Her name's Lapis, she's thin, about my height, looks dreary, blue colored hair.” 

Amethyst nodded. “Got it, send her to you too?” Amethyst knew that Pearl liked to personally supervise new employees to make certain they would be able to keep up with the demands of the job. 

Pearl shook her head. “No, Garnet is training her, send her to electronics.” 

That surprised amethyst but she nodded and smiled. “Sure thing P. Now get on back to your area and I'll make sure to send Bismuth over when she gets here.”

Pearl nodded. “Thank you.” She turned to go but stopped to look back. “Oh and Amethyst,” she waited until Amethyst was looking at her before continuing, “sit up straight when the customers get here.” 

Amethyst chuckled and sat down, sipping down some more coffee and waiting for the customers or one of those Pearl had asked her to watch for to come in. She was there for a few more minutes before the first customers started coming in. She stood up and greeted them as they walked past, giving directions to any who asked for them and striking up small conversations with the ones she was more familiar with. Bismuth arrived after the first customers and walked over to Amethyst immediately. 

“Hey there Amy.” She smiled. “Working hard or hardly working?” 

Amethyst chuckled and held her hand up towards the large black woman with rainbow colored dreadlocks. “Working hard at hardly working.” 

Bismuth gave her a high five and laughed. “Fair.” She lifted up her toolbox. “So, where am I headed?” She looked around, studying the area. 

“Pearl asked me to send you back to her as soon as you came in,” she smiled mischievously. “In fact she insisted.” 

Bismuth blushed lightly and smiled a little bit. “She did huh?” She adjusted the bandana she wore to keep her hair back and to keep the sweat from her brow. “Well I guess I should get back to see her then.”

Amethyst nodded. “Yep, go get em girl!” She cheered her on. Bismuth chuckled and waved as she went back to the home section where Pearl was waiting. Amethyst helped a customer and then grabbed a bottle of water from under the counter, taking a sip. 

She was soon approached by a dreary looking girl with blue hair. “Excuse me, my name is Lapis Lazuli. I’m supposed to start working here today.”

Amethyst looked her over and smiled. “Hey! I’m Amethyst!” She grabbed Lapis’ hand and shook it, causing the other to jump in surprise. “Nice to meet you!” 

Lapis pulled her hand back and cleared her throat. “Um, it's nice to meet you too… I was told I’d be learning from somebody called Garret?” She wiped her hand on her dress. 

Amethyst nodded. “Her name's Garnet.” She pointed towards the electronics section. “She’s over there. Tall lady, real stoic, hips that don’t quit.” She smirked. 

Lapis nodded. “Thank you, I’ll see you around.” She went in the direction the other had pointed, looking for her teacher. 

Amethyst helped the next customer. She hoped that the day would stay busy. She hated having to just sit around and wait for stuff to happen. She stayed focused on her customers and waited for her first break. 

-

Pearl forced a smile and walked over to a customer examining some of the mugs they carried in the store. “Hello madam, can I help you?” She recognized the woman as one of the local mail carriers. 

The woman looked at her and smiled. “I’m looking for a new mug for my daughter Sadie! She works at the coffee shop in the mall and I wanted to get her something special!” 

Pearl nodded stiffly. “Um, certainly.” She looked at the mugs. “What kind of a girl is she?” Perhaps if she gathered more information she could help this woman to make a decision. 

The woman's eyes sparkled at the others question. She pulled out her wallet and opened it, causing a plethora of photos set inside to spill out, reaching nearly to the floor. She pointed to the first and began a long story about her child that almost sounded rehearsed. “Well my little Sadie was born on a Friday, I remember it perfectly…” 

Pearl could feel a migraine coming on. She had no idea what she had signed up for and now she would do anything she could to get out of this. She crossed her arms and tried not to let her annoyance and discomfort show as she nodded her head and made soft noises like she was listening. After what felt like hours she was pulled out of her trance by a deep feminine voice. 

“Excuse me ma'am, I got a call about a blown gasket.” 

Pearl turned and looked up at the large woman with a soft blush. “Bismuth, hello, I’m just um…” She looked back at her customer who was smiling as she put her pictures back in the wallet. 

“I’m sorry madam, I’ll have Bismuth wait until we’re finished.” It was rude of her to even turn to Bismuth when she was supposed to be attending to this woman. She couldn’t believe she had been so careless. 

The woman smiled and waved her hand. “I don’t mind. You go ahead and help her.” She grabbed a mug with a zombie motif and held it up. “I think she'll like this.” She headed on towards the next thing she was looking for, leaving Pearl relatively alone with Bismuth. 

Pearl turned back to the large woman and stood there awkwardly, unsure of how she should proceed now. Thankfully Bismuth broke the silence.

“You look good, better than you did last time I saw you.” She stated, trying to be polite. 

Pearl blushed and nodded. “Thank you. You look um, more bulky than the last time I saw you…” She flushed. _What the hell is wrong with you?!_ She internally shouted at herself.

Bismuth chuckled and flexed an arm. “I’m glad you noticed, I’ve started a new workout regimen.” 

Pearl calmed down a bit when she saw the other wasn’t taking offense to her idiotic comment but then she felt herself grow weak at the sight of the other flexing. Her mouth went dry. 

“Yes! Well,” her voice came out high pitched but she cleared her throat, trying to fix her voice, “we should get you started.” She gestured for the other to follow and went to the back rooms. “Thank you for coming to do this, maintenance is a bit difficult for people less qualified like myself. Really you’re saving us from stress and it will go much faster having you do this.” She was able to speak much easier when she was focused and no ogling the other. 

“We’ll I’m always happy to help and I do technically work for the store, even if I’m not always here.” It was true that Bismuth was employed by the store but she only worked as a repairman, helping to maintain the electronic systems, since she had another job she was dedicated to. The reason she did this had more to do with her ties to Rose and the rest of the crew than with actual employment. 

Pearl finally reached the room with the switch boxes and used her keys to open the door, flicking a switch to turn on the lights. “So here you go. Do you want me to stick around?” Pearl was almost desperately hoping she would say yes. She wanted to have a proper conversation with her and maybe actually get the opportunity to ask the other out. 

“Could you actually? I work better when I’m talking to someone and I might need an insider’s view on some of this.” She was actually quite familiar with how the systems in the store were set up and could access them easily. In truth she just wanted the other there so she could talk to her and maybe ask her out like she had been meaning to do during the last few times she had visited. 

“Oh, of course.” Pearl put her hands behind her back and moved to stand by the doorway. The other passed into the room and opened the circuit breaker boxes, looking through the various switches and then making sure everything was working correctly. 

“So how has the store been doing? Bismuth asked, keeping her eyes on her work. “It looks busier than the last time I was in.”

“The store has been picking up business recently. We have been getting more customers in recent months and I think it is due to our brilliant leadership and wonderful employees.” She included herself in that list of course, though she truly thought most of their success was due to Rose’s ingenuity. 

“That’s good to hear. How about you? How have you been?” 

Pearl blushed lightly. She didn’t talk about herself much. “I’m fine I suppose, staying busy with work and such. I’m living at the beach now, in a nice house. I’m not seeing anyone.” 

“That’s too bad, you’re too pretty to be single.” Bismuth was happy she was looking away because the blush that now decorated her face was embarrassing. 

Pearl blushed at the comment. “I’m nothing special.” 

Bismuth glanced at her. “You are though, you’re one of the nicest and most attractive girl’s I've ever met…” She tried to focus on her work, feeling more awkward as the silence stretched between them. 

“You say the nicest things about me you know...” Pearl took a breath before continuing. “Bismuth?” 

Bismuth looked over her shoulder at the pale woman. 

Pearl hesitated a moment before continuing. “Are you seeing anyone right now?” _God what a fool I am! She screamed at herself. Somebody like her probably has suitors lining up outside the door just to get a few minutes with her._

Bismuth smiled to herself. “No actually. Why do you ask?” 

That surprised her but she tried to play it off. “Well um, you seem like the kind of person who could easily get a date.” 

“I do enjoy dating, but I prefer to do it with someone I like.” 

Pearl felt an opportunity here so she pressed on. “What kind of person would that be?” 

Bismuth finished her work with the boxes and turned to face Pearl. “Someone I know, smart, pretty, very elegant.” She approached Pearl, “somebody with a good head on their shoulders and who likes me as well.” She stopped about a foot away, looking down at Pearl. “Do you know anybody like that?” She smiled a little, waiting for the other to reach the conclusion she wanted. 

Pearl looked up at her. “Do you want to go out sometime?” She suddenly blurted out. Her entire face turned red and she looked down, completely expecting to be rejected by the other now. 

Bismuth nodded. “Yes, absolutely.” 

Pearl was shocked. She looked back up at Bismuth and smiled, putting her hands over her mouth. She was overjoyed that she had actually done it. Bismuth returned the smile. 

“So where’s the furnace?”

Pearl’s blush darkened as she snapped back to reality. “Right, follow me.” She led her out of the room, locking the door after the other was out, and led her to another room. “So where would you like to go on our date?”

Bismuth paused before chuckling. “I’m not really sure. Do you know anywhere nice?” 

Pearl thought of a few places but couldn’t decide if the other would like them. “I’m afraid not.”

Bismuth smiled. “We'll talk about it.”

Pearl unlocked the door and walked into the next room. “Yes I suppose we will.”

-

Garnet grabbed the television just as it started to teeter and looked down at the young child who had nearly knocked it over. The boy was a small child with a wisp of light blonde hair on his head. He looked at her with large eyes then walked away, staying quiet and acting as if he hadn’t done anything. 

Garnet sighed and shook her head. She knew the boy of course, he was somewhat infamous in the small town and had a reputation for acting strangely and causing trouble. Garnet was vigilant enough that she could spot him though. She made sure the tv was straight before going to organize the collection of cd’s they had in stock. 

She had noticed someone rifling through them earlier and just wanted to make sure they were all organized. After a quick glance she determined that none of them were out of place. She then went to move around her area, seeing how everything was doing and if there were any customers walking through. 

There was usually at least one person in the technology section at any given time and Garnet was obligated to help them. She truly enjoyed her work, helping to solve problems and keeping order. She was just moving through the home appliances when she spotted a girl with hair dyed a dark blue who looked lost. She approached her at an easy pace and once the other saw her she smiled and moved to just a few feet away. 

“Hello ma'am, welcome to Terra. Is there anything I can help you with?”

The woman looked at the woman and then stared at her name tag. “You’re Garnet right?” 

Garnet nodded. “Yes, that's me.” She looked the other over. She couldn’t recognize her from anywhere but the other obviously knew her, even if it was only by name.  
“Thank goodness, I’ve been wandering this section for a few minutes trying to find you. I can see why it’s in need of staff.” 

Garnet nodded. “So what can I help you with?” She suspected this woman wasn’t a customer. 

“I’m Lapis, the new employee, I’m starting today. Didn’t they tell you?”

Garnet nodded, happy the other couldn’t see her surprised eyes through the sunglasses she always wore. “Right, I’m glad you made it.” She turned and gestured for the other to follow. “Come on, let's get you set up.” She walked back through the section and over to the help desk which was also located in the area. She walked into the little countered area and turned on one of the computers. 

“So Lapis, have you ever worked in a store before?” Garnet wanted to talk a little, and she also wanted to learn about the other. 

Lapis looked down. “No, I’ve only ever worked in fast food before. I’m frankly surprised I got this job.” She looked nervous.

“We’ll you’ll have a lot to learn then.” She got the computer set up while she talked. “Don’t worry though, I’ll get you prepared.” She stepped back from the computer. “Please fill in the information here.” 

Lapis stepped to the computer and entered the information it asked her for. “I appreciate it. How long have you worked here?” 

Garnet chuckled. “Well I’ve been working here for nearly as long as it’s been open.” She mentally counted. “Which would be close to ten years now.” 

Lapis looked at her in surprise. “Ten years?” 

Garnet nodded. “Yeah, I applied not long after I moved into the area and have been working here since.” 

Lapis finished entering her information. “I’m done. That sounds… crazy.” 

Garnet smiled and took over, going through the right programs that would enter Lapis into the employee database. “It's not as crazy as you might think. I like working here, it’s fun and there are lots of good people around here.” 

Lapis grabbed her own arm and thought. “I could use some fun.” 

Garnet exited out of the program. “Alright, you’re in, now we're just going to print out your badge and get you sighed in for the day.” She went into a different program and had it print the badge. She grabbed it from the machine and held it out to Lapis. 

The badge was white with a single golden star in the center. Written on the badge in bold black letters were the words “LAPIS, HERE TO HELP!” Lapis looked at the badge then at Garnet. “Thank you.” She didn’t really care for the badge but it was part of her uniform now. 

Garnet nodded and pulled a safety pin from a box beneath the counter as well as some glue. After putting the pin on the back of the badge she held it out towards Lapis. “Wear your badge whenever you are in the store. Pearl told you about our dressing policy right?”

Lapis nodded. “Yes." She remembered Pearl telling her about it during the interview. 

“Good. I’ll show you how to sign in now.” Garnet brought up the login screen and showed Lapis how to go through the process. Once that was done she had her clock in. 

“Good, next I’m going to show you what you’ll be doing.” She stepped out into the electronics section and moved between the shelves. “Here at Terra we move our new employees around and try them out in different sections of the store to see what fits them best. In the electronics section you have to be responsible for organizing products, helping customers, and a few other things.” 

Lapis walked beside her. “Alright. Where do you want me to start?” 

“For now I want you to familiarize yourself with this section of the store and figure out where everything is. When we get a customer I’ll guide you through helping them.” 

Lapis walked around, looking through the section and noting where everything was located, it wasn’t long before she was approached by a man who was wearing a big smile on his face. When Lapis saw him she kept a neutral face but her shoulders tensed up. 

“Hey there! I’m looking for a new stereo machine, one with a microphone port.” He kept smiling. 

Lapis hesitated. “I’m, yes, I can help you.” She managed to keep her voice steady despite her nervousness. She had never realized what it would be like to not have a counter between herself and her customers. “I’m still new so please forgive me if I make a mistake.” 

The man nodded. “No problem, I’m sure you’ll do fine.” 

Garnet watched Lapis from a couple aisles away. She was currently relabeling some items for a discount but she was keeping an eye on the new employee. She was prepared to swoop in and provide assistance if the other needed it but for now she would let her try.

Lapis nodded. “Right, so a stereo.” She thought about where she had seen those and nodded to herself. “Follow me please.” She turned and started walking, glancing back to make sure he was following. She went past a few aisles before finding the right one. She walked down it and then to the stereos. “Here we are.” 

As the man turned to look through the selection Lapis was silently hoping he wouldn’t turn to her and ask her to tell him about the models. She knew nothing about them.  
The man looked at her. “Do you know which model is better?” 

Lapis eyes widened. She did her best not to panic and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.” 

The man nodded and smiled. “That’s alright. Can you get somebody who does though? I’m not very good at picking out these sorts of things. Now if it were an arcade game I would know exactly what to do.” He stated enthusiastically. 

Lapis nodded. “Yes sir, I’ll be right back.” She scampered off to find Garnet but nearly ran into her when she turned the corner and discovered the other standing there. She started and looked up at the other. “Garnet, thank goodness, I have a customer with a question.” 

Garnet nodded and adjusted her reflective sunglasses. “So I see.” She looked back at Lapis. “What is his question?” 

“He wants to know which stereo is better, I don’t know, I barely know what a stereo is!” She grabbed her own arm in a nervous grip. 

Garnet laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It's okay, I don’t expect you to know. Now, calm down.” 

Lapis hesitated before nodding and taking a deep breath. “Alright, I’m calm.” She was struggling to stay calm though. “What should I tell him?” 

“Well I’ll talk to him. But I want you to watch and learn.” Garnet had extensive knowledge about nearly everything in her section. She walked around Lapis and approached the man. “Good morning Mr. Smiley, finally came in to get that new stereo huh?” She knew this man, he was a regular customer. 

Mr. Smiley looked at her. “Oh hey Garnet! That's right, it's time for me to trade up.” 

Garnet nodded. “Well what kind of a machine are you looking for?” 

Lapis stood to the side, watching the exchange and trying to learn something from it. She carefully observed Garnet. 

Mr. Smiley chuckled. “I need something that can be heard across a large area. It needs to have a microphone port too.” 

Garnet nodded. “Well we have three models right now, two of which have microphone ports.” She walked over to the shelves and hefted one of the devices up. It was in a brightly covered box with lots of information written on it. “This one is probably closer to what you want.” 

Mr. Smiley looked at the box and nodded. “What about the other one?” 

“Well if I can be frank this is the more powerful model and it comes with a one year warranty.” She stated, waiting for his decision.

Mr. Smiley nodded. “Well I trust you.” He took the model from her and grunted. “That’s pretty heavy.” 

“Means it’s more sturdy.” Garnet joked. 

Mr. Smiley chuckled and thanked her before walking away. As he left Lapis approached Garnet. 

“So what did you see?” Garnet asked without turning to her. 

Lapis hesitated before answering. “You knew him and you knew what he wanted.” 

Garnet nodded. “Experience. I also know what we carry and things that the customer is looking for.” She looked at her. “Now I don’t expect you to become me, especially not in the span of one day, but I do expect you to understand that you have to learn. You have to meet the community, know what you’re selling, and speak confidently.” 

Lapis looked at Garnet. “I’m sorry.” 

Garnet touched Lapis shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. You are still learning. Come on, let me teach you how to handle the label maker.” She led Lapis back to where she had been working and taught her how to use the device. 

-

Amethyst put the last item in the bag and passed it across the counter to her customer. “There you go. Have a nice day!” She checked the clock and pumped her fist when she saw it was time for her lunch break. She quickly set the “Lane Closed” sign on her counter and moved back through the store to the break room. 

She pulled her lunch, a large sandwich made from an amalgamation of ingredients, out of the fridge and sat down to eat it. She was enjoying it greatly when Bismuth walked into the break room. Amethyst immediately raised a hand and called out to her despite her full mouth. 

Bismuth looked at Amethyst and smiled before waving back. “Hey girl,” she chuckled softly, “enjoying your lunch?” 

Amethyst nodded and swallowed before speaking. “What up?” 

Bismuth lifted the pot of coffee. “Getting a refresher, then I’m gonna check all the outlets in here.” She poured a cup then added some cream and went over to sit with Amethyst. “How are things in the world of cashiers?” 

“Pretty good honestly. Lots of money and bags, most of the customers are pretty cool too, aside from the occasional bad egg. How's it in the world of mechanics?” She ate a few more bites of her sandwich. 

“Pretty good. Lotta stuff that needs fixed and lotta chances to invent in my free time.” Bismuth had a passion for creating machines with her skills, things that she thought would make life simpler. She had given a couple of the smaller inventions to Amethyst who was one of her biggest supporters. 

“Sounds pretty sweet.” She ate a couple more bites. “You ask Pearl out yet?” 

Bismuth blushed, completely surprised by the sudden question. She looked away and cleared her throat. “Actually she asked me.” 

Amethyst couldn’t help but to let out a gasp of surprise and joy. “That's awesome!” 

Bismuth chuckled softly. “I should get back to work.” She started to rise. 

Amethyst was smiling happily. “Yeah, you should work on the store, then work on Pearl.” She smirked. 

Bismuth chuckled. “Don’t worry, I've got it.” She continued with her work while Amethyst finished up her lunch. 

-

Pearl stepped out of Rose's office with a small stack of papers. She walked to the front of the store and began hanging the papers in the window. They stated that the store would be having a sale soon in anticipation of the rapidly approaching holiday season. 

After she finished putting the papers up she pulled out her phone and sent a call, lifting the device to her ear. After a few moments the phone was answered by a woman with a soft voice. 

“Hello Pearl. How is everything going at the store?” 

“It's going well Rose, I just put up the fliers, Bismuth is nearly finished with her work, we are receiving an increasing number of customers, and the store is neat and tidy as always.” She heard a soft chuckle from the other end of the line. 

“Good, I’m glad. Thank you for taking care of all of this. I promise I’ll be returning to the store for the foreseeable future. I just had to get everything else done first.”

“It's alright, I understand. Besides I’m always happy to help.” She played with her hair slowly, twirling a few strands around the fingers of her free hand. 

“Well thank you all the same. Can you close up tonight? I’m going to head straight home after I’ve finished my work here.”

“Of course! I’ll make sure everything is safe and secure. You take it easy.” 

“Thank you Pearl. Have a good day.” 

“You too.” With that she ended the call and put the phone away, heading back to her section. She noticed Garnet training Lapis as she passed the tech section. 

She hoped that hiring that girl would pay off. She seemed troubled but Pearl believed she would be a valuable employee if she was given just a little guidance. She had assigned Garnet as her trainer for that very reason. She walked into her section, asking the woman she had left in charge for a report. Thankfully they had sold quite a few things and there hadn’t been any incidents. Pearl thanked the woman then took over the section again and walked about, fixing the minor things that only she could see. 

She planned out the rest of the day in her head as she worked. Before she knew it the afternoon had drifted into the early evening. The store suddenly exploded with activity as dozens of customers came in looking for things they needed. Pearl saw to many of the people who came to her section, trusting other employees to help those she could not. 

-

Lapis was a little overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people. Of course she was used to rushes at her old job but this was very different. As she watched the growing crowd she worried about what she would do and froze for a moment until Garnet spoke to her. 

“Take a deep breath Lapis, stay calm and don’t worry, you'll get through this you just have to focus. If somebody asks for help do your best and explain to them that this is your first day.” 

Lapis breathed slowly and watched the group as they invaded the area and began asking for help. Lapis did her best to help and started to feel confident by the time she was through her first few customers. She was getting a real grasp for how to address them now. 

The rush continued for nearly three hours but it felt like only a fraction of that time had passed when the crowd moved on. Lapis leaned against the counter and tried to catch her breath. Garnet looked at her and gave her a thumbs up. 

“You did well.” She looked at her watch. “You’ve worked a full shift, if you like I can show you how to access your schedule and then help you to logout and you can get head home.”

Lapis nodded. “Yes, I think I have had enough for today.” She would have to get used to these kinds of activities. 

Garnet had her access her schedule then showed her how to clock out. Lapis left and headed home, leaving Garnet to clean up the electronics section and take the final inventory for the day. 

-

Amethyst let out a heavy breath as she watched the last customer of the rush walk out the door. She checked the clock on her register and saw that it was just an hour until they closed. The business slowed to a crawl at about this time so it left plenty of opportunities for the employees to begin their closing rituals, making it so they wouldn’t have to stay after closing time. 

Amethyst pulled her bottle of cleaner and a clean cloth from beneath the counter and worked on wiping down her station. She was finished with this after only a few minutes. She saw to cleaning the entrance next, sweeping up the dust and dirt people had tracked in then mopping the floor. 

Two or three customers came in but she had the wet floor sign up so none of them slipped. Amethyst worked diligently. She was never this tidy at home but then she knew what Rose had sacrificed to keep this place open and Amethyst thought it was the least she could do to help keep it looking nice. Amethyst cleaned the front windows next. 

Soon enough the hour was up and Amethyst clocked out. She went back to the break room to collect her items. She spotted Pearl in the back who was just finishing up a conversation with Bismuth when Amethyst approached. 

“So I’ll see you on Thursday right?” Bismuth asked, smiling.

Pearl nodded. “Yes, I’ll meet you at the arcade at four o'clock sharp. Again I'd like to thank you for coming today.” 

Bismuth chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. “I told you it’s no problem.” She turned to go. “See you on Thursday.” She walked away and made sure to high five Amethyst as they passed each other. 

Amethyst walked up to Pearl. “Hey P. Did you seal the deal?” 

Pearl blushed lightly but Amethyst noticed a small smile on her lips. “Well we are going out.” She cleared her throat. “Anyways I presume you're headed home?” 

Amethyst nodded. “Yup, just finished cleaning up and the store's closed. I noticed Rose isn’t back.” It was not an uncommon occurrence but Amethyst knew what it meant for Pearl. 

Pearl nodded. “Yes, I called her earlier. She headed home after her meeting. She's asked me to handle closing up and other important matters.” 

Amethyst nodded. “I can wait if you want me to?” They did live together with Garnet though they didn’t always leave the house at the same time. 

Pearl shook her head. “No reason for that, the buses will still be running and besides I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” 

Amethyst sighed. “Alright, just don’t get stabbed.” 

Pearl nodded. “I promise I won’t. Now go ahead, I’ll see you when I get home.” 

Amethyst reluctantly gathered her things and left. She waved to Garnet on her way out and started up her car, heading home at a speed exceeding the limit. She planned to get dinner started and make plenty for the other two so they would have something to eat when they got back. 

-

Pearl finished switching off the lights and turned on the nighttime security. She then walked around and ensured all the entrances were locked before walking out the front and locking that door. She was the last person out, the rest of the employees had headed home already. She walked down the street to the bus stop and waited, going over the next day’s schedule in her mind. 

Right now she just wanted to get home and lay down and maybe get a full eight hours of sleep before she had to come back tomorrow and do it again. She glanced at the mall, the square building seemed to loom against the horizon, barely illuminated by the rapidly fading sunset and the lights of its parking lot. Pearl grimaced as she thought of the coming weeks. The holidays were always crazy and the mall proved a dangerous rival, stealing customers and doing its best to pull as much business from the store as possible. 

The others might call Pearl paranoid but she knew the truth, that mall wanted to put Rose’s store out of business. Pearl wasn’t going to let that happen. She climbed onto the bus once it finally arrived and sat down in one of the cleaner seats, thinking hard about the plan Rose had devised for this year. Their store would do better than they ever had in previous years and she would do whatever it took to make it so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took forever for some reason but now we can really get the ball rolling on these! 
> 
> The next story will have Steven and Connie going to visit Santa at the mall. But who is Santa? You'll have to read to find out! It will also be the first interaction between one the Diamond Sisters and our group. 
> 
> As always thank you for reading, feel free to tell me what you think of the work.


	5. Holiday Gems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven takes Connie to the mall to meet Santa, Greg unknowingly shares drinks with Blue Diamond, and they have a run in with someone.

Connie pulled her scarf close around her neck and then pulled on earmuffs. Her mother looked her over worriedly.

“Are you certain you’ll be warm enough?” She asked, sounding concerned. It was just like her mother to worry over small things like this. 

“Mom I’m already wearing three layers, I’ll be in Mr. Universe's van on the trip to and from the mall and I’ll be in the mall for most of the day.” Connie was trying to reassure her worried parent who still showed signs of discomfort with this. 

“Well alright, but just promise me that if you see anybody with symptoms of strep throat or the flu that you’ll avoid them at all cost.” She raised a finger and waved it, emphasizing her words. 

“I promise mom.” Her phone rang a moment later and she struggled to pull it out of her pocket with the mittens but once she did she was able to see that there was a text from Steven stating they were outside. “They’re here.” 

Doctor Maheshwaran knelt down and pulled Connie into a hug. “Stay safe Connie, and make sure to avoid icy patches.” She had time for one last instruction before Connie pulled back. 

“I’ll be fine mom. I love you.” She opened the door and shivered as the winter air nipped at her face. She stepped out into the weather and hopped into the van sitting on the plowed street. She smiled at Steven. 

“Hello Steven! Hello Mr. Universe!” She said cheerily, giving one final wave to her mom who was standing in the doorway with a worried look on her face. 

Greg and Steven waved too before the van pulled away. “So Connie, are you excited to see Santa?” Greg asked, focusing on his driving. 

“Yes, I have conducted extensive research into the figure of Santa Claus and I believe I’m ready to ask him what I want.” She had never heard much about Santa before Steven had told her about him. Her family was Hindu and gave each other gifts during the holidays to celebrate one of their own traditions rather than for Christmas.

Steven smiled. “I’m so excited! I can’t believe you’ve never met Santa before!” 

“Well my parents told me that we give gifts to celebrate our festival of lights, it’s called Diwali and it celebrates the triumph of good things in the world. It's a little like Christmas, we give gifts, eat nice meals and share our love. We also clean the house and wear really nice clothes. But we celebrated it back in November. We do have a small celebration for the New Year though.” 

Steven listened intently. “That sounds cool! I’m sorry I missed it.” He smiled when he had a thought. “Can I come over to your house for New Years?” 

Connie blushed. “Well I would have to ask my parents first.” She already knew that her mother would be opposed to the idea. 

Steven smiled. “Great!” Connie knew that Steven really wanted to know her better and she thought it was endearing of him. She had liked the boy since they had met but they hadn’t been able to spend much time together. 

Greg looked at them. “Alright you two, we're nearly there, remember to stay close to me and to be careful of ice patches.” 

Connie and Steven both agreed and pulled their coats closer around themselves. They saw the mall before long. Connie felt a sense of excitement as they grew closer. She was very excited to shop and spend the day with Steven. She was also very curious about this Santa Claus person.

-

Jasper regretted this already. When the person the mall hired called in suddenly saying they were sick it had sent the upper management into a frenzy. They needed someone to replace the actor. So Jasper, being eager to serve, had agreed to fulfill the role until they could find someone better. She did her best not to scratch at the fake beard on her face and looked at the next child who was being led up by Peridot, who was dressed like an elf. 

Jasper looked at the child and carefully picked them up, putting them on her knee. “Ho ho ho! Hello little boy. And what is your name?” She asked, falling into the routine easily enough. She couldn’t help but feel that they had agreed to let her do this because of her deep voice. 

The boy looked up at her nervously and tried his best to answer. “I’m, um, I’m Timmy and I want a um, a…” He seemed to become lost for a moment. 

Jasper did her best to be patient. She spoke again. “Why don’t you tell me what you want for Christmas?” 

The boy looked up at her. “I um, I want a um, a reformer.” 

Jasper nodded. “Well have you been a good boy this year?” 

The boy looked at her and nodded. “Yeah! I always go to bed when mommy tells me to and clean up my toys, and lots of other stuff.”

Jasper nodded. “Well I’ll tell you what Timmy, if you can keep being good I’ll do what I can to get you that reformer.” 

The boy cheered and hugged her. “Thank you Santa!”

Jasper blushed and patted his back. “Have a merry Christmas Timmy.” 

The boy hopped off her lap and ran over to his waiting mother. He waved goodbye before taking hold of his mother’s hand and walking off. Jasper looked to Peridot who was escorting the next child over. This was going to be a long day. 

-

Greg walked with the kids through the store. It was crowded of course. There were dozens of people moving around trying to fill their lists and get all the good deals in the shops. The kids stayed close to Greg but that didn’t stop them from getting excited about all the things the mall had to offer. 

Steven stopped in front of the toy store and stared at the decorations with a smile on his face. “They look so pretty!” He exclaimed. 

Greg smiled. “Do you want to go in and look around Shtoo-ball?” 

Steven stopped himself from staring. “No, we should go see Santa first, there will be plenty of time for toys later.” He stated. 

Connie pointed. “Oh my gosh! Is that the new Yego set?” 

Steven hesitated, struggling not to look. “We can just check it out later.” 

Greg chuckled. “We’ve got time if you want to go inside Steven.” 

Steven turned back and cheered. “Let's do it!” 

They went into the store. It was filled with children and beefy women trying to herd them and maintain some sort of control over the mob of aggressive shoppers. They were approached by the same woman who had been working here the last time they had been in. She had a stud on her cheek and her teeth looked pointed. 

“Hello and welcome to toy land. Is there anything I can help you to find?” She was doing her best to help them so they could leave faster and make the store less crowded. 

“Can we see the new Yego sets?” Steven asked excitedly. 

The woman chuckled and led them to the section with the toys they were looking for. She left them to see to a boy who was attempting to disassemble a Norf gun. Greg did his best to stay out of the way of various scrambling children as he watched over his own scrambling kids while they looked at the new sets. He made mental notes of the ones Steven seemed particularly interested in. 

He could come back around to the shop while the other two were in line to see Santa and at least check the prices. He wanted Steven to be happy. He knew that wasn’t easy on a budget but it was what he truly wanted. The two walked back to him. 

Connie was speaking of the virtues of the product. “Of course the ability to use the pieces to construct whatever you can imagine makes for some very intriguing design possibilities.” 

Steven smiled. “Not to mention how pretty the blocks look and how manageable they are!”

Connie nodded. “Yes, but have you ever stepped on one?” She winced. “That's why it's important to be aware of your surroundings.” 

Greg smiled. “Are you two ready to go?” He wanted to get them in line before the lunch rush started and it really got busy. 

Steven looked up and nodded. “Yeah! Let's get going.” He walked out of the store, followed closely by the other two. 

Connie moved with him, telling him more about the advantageous and interesting uses for the Yego toys. Greg spotted a coffee shop on the way, it was being manned by a two person team consisting of a teenage boy with ear gauges and red hair, and a shorter blonde girl. They were working to serve the short line of people trying to get drinks. Greg made a mental note to swing by the shop later.

Greg turned to focus on the two children in front of him. He soon saw the decorations and signs indicating that Santa Clause wasn’t too far now. They finally found the line. It stretched back into the corridor they were in and had dividers near the front to keep it orderly. Greg looked at the two as they stepped up to the last place in line before somebody took it. 

“Alright you two, take care of each other and stay in line. You should be at the front before long.” Greg looked around. “I need to do some shopping but I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring hot cocoa too.” He promised, smiling at the two. 

Steven saluted. “You can count on me sir!” 

Connie imitated the salute. “Me too!” 

Greg chuckled and returned the salute. “Alright, take care you don’t wander out of the line.” He waved as he walked off into a separate part of the store. 

He began to move around, walking into different stores and buying things for his family and friends. He had them wrapped in the places that offered such a service and simply did his best to keep others hidden in paper bags. It didn’t take him very long to gather up the presents he was looking for. Once he had them all he went to the coffee shop to get hot chocolate for the kids and a little coffee for himself. 

He stood in the line and waited patiently for his turn at the counter. As he stood in line he looked around, taking in the shop and its patrons. Most of them were young adults with phones and computers, even a few had novels, but there were a few middle aged people trying to relax with tea or get their second wing from coffee, there were even some children enjoying cups of hot cocoa. Almost all of them were in groups of two or more but there was the occasional loner. Nobody particularly stood out, until Greg saw the woman in blue. 

She was sitting alone at a corner table, her hands were held around a cup on the table. She was hunched over, her face mostly hidden from view. She moved only a little, her shoulders shaking as small tears fell from her eyes and mixed with the liquid in the cup. Greg frowned as he watched her, noticing that she never sipped the drink. She seemed to have an aura of sadness around her and though she was taller than most of the other people in the shop she seemed to be trying to make herself smaller. Greg took pity on her and decided to try something.

When Greg finally reached the counter he was greeted by a teenager with gauges in his ears and a puff of dark red hair on his head. Greg ordered his coffee and the hot chocolates for the kids, plus one more for the woman. He stood to the side while waiting for his drinks. Once his order was done he quickly collected it and walked over to the table where the woman sat. He stood there for a moment to see if she would notice him. After deciding that she wasn’t going to look up he cleared his throat to get her attention. 

“Excuse me, but do you mind if I sit here?” 

The woman looked up at him in surprise. “Sit?” She seemed confused. She had a long face, stained by trails from tears that had streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes were a striking blue and she had makeup on that was slightly smudged now. Her white hair was long, flowing down past her shoulders and framing her face, it was also wound together across her chest somehow. There was a blue pendant necklace in the shape of a diamond on her chest.

Greg smiled and nodded. “If you don’t mind. I noticed you sitting alone over here and thought you would like some company. Maybe someone to talk to?” 

She hesitated before nodding. “Yes, please sit down.” 

Greg smiled and sat. “I’m Greg.” 

She nodded, watching him. “I’m Bella…”

Greg lifted his coffee and took a small sip. “It's nice to meet you. I’m here to finish up my holiday shopping. How about you?” 

She looked down. “I work here in the mall actually. I’m on my lunch break now. I wanted to come here and get this chamomile tea. My little sister used to love this…” A small smile graced her lips but it was quickly replaced by a frown and sorrowful eyes. 

Greg hesitated before posing a question. “What happened to her?” 

She sighed. “She disappeared years ago. My sister thinks she's dead… I… I don’t know what to think.” She looked at Greg. “I’m sorry to bring this up after we just met. It’s just that I miss her so much.” 

Greg nodded. “Yeah, I understand. I’ve got a family too, they’re kinda distant, but I love them. I’m not sure what I would do if I lost them.” 

She stared at the cup of tea before her. “Yes…”

“Why don’t you drink the tea?” Greg asked. 

She glanced at him then back to the drink. “I’ve never liked it much to be honest, tea doesn’t taste very good to me.” She chuckled softly at the irony of that.

Greg smiled and pulled the extra cup of hot chocolate from the cup holder he had it in. “Why not try this instead?” He held it out to her.

She hesitantly took it and lifted the cup to her nose, sniffing it. “Hot chocolate?” 

Greg nodded. “Yeah. Do you like it?” He worried that hot chocolate had been the wrong thing to get. 

She gave a soft chuckle. “I haven’t had this since I was a little girl.” She lifted the lid and sipped a bit. Her mood seemed to brighten a moment later and a soft smile graced her lips. 

Greg smiled himself when he saw her smiling. “You like it?” 

She nodded, pushing the tea away. “Yes, thank you.” She looked at him and then seemed to ponder something. “I don’t mean to be rude, but why are you bothering with me?” She couldn’t understand why anybody would bother trying to help her. She was just a lonely businesswoman. 

Greg smiled. “Because you looked sad.” He had simply wanted to help her. 

She blushed. “You’re very kind…” She sounded surprised. 

Greg nodded. “I try to be nice to everybody.” He sipped his coffee. “Now, what do you do here at the mall? If you don’t mind me asking.” 

She shook her head. “No, I don’t mind. I’m actually one of the managers. I specifically handle customer satisfaction. That includes customer service and employee health. Basically I’m in charge of keeping the employees and customers happy, I also handle the signing on of new employees. You see all those being hired here at the mall have to go through me before they can be hired by the stores.”

Greg nodded, smiling. “It sounds like an important job. Do you like it?” 

She nodded rather enthusiastically. “Yes, I’m always happy to help others. My sister liked to do that too. I think that if she were still here she would be proud of what I’m doing.” That sadness began to return, causing her to look forlorn. 

Greg cleared his throat. “I’m sure she would. I work in a number of jobs myself.” Greg tried to steer the conversation away from Bella's sister since that topic only seemed to make her sad. 

She looked at him in surprise. “Really? What do you do?”

“Well I run a car wash, host music lessons, work as a handyman, and a number of other things. I just kind of do what I can to pick up a little extra cash.” 

She looked him over. “I don’t mean to be rude but are you poor?”

Greg chuckled. “Not really, but we do have to scrape to get by sometimes. Every little bit helps you see. Beside I have to take care of my wife and son.” He smiled as he thought of them. 

Bella seemed to take interest in that. “Oh? You’re married?” She didn’t see a ring. 

“Yeah, to a wonderful woman. She runs a store herself, you might know it. It's called Terra, it’s just across the street.” 

Bella hesitated. For some reason that name sounded familiar to her. “I believe I do know it, perhaps I’ve passed it before?” She hardly paid attention to the things she passed when driving home. 

Greg nodded. “Yeah, my wife Rose is really something. She runs the store with her friends and they do fairly well as a business.” 

Bella froze as the name Rose. He couldn’t be talking about the Rose Quartz could he? “Rose? That's a nice name, and you say she owns the store across the street?” 

Greg nodded. “Yes, she's strong and brilliant. Sometimes I’m amazed she loves me so much.” He blushed lightly and smiled like a lovesick fool. 

Bella nodded and began to think. This man couldn’t be married to the woman who was responsible for the disappearance of her sister could he? She would have to conduct some research to discover the truth. She took another sip of the cocoa. “You sound like you really love her…”

Greg nodded. “I do! She's amazing! Perhaps I could introduce her to you sometime?”

She shook her head. “No, that’s quite alright.” She stood. “I really should be getting back to work.” 

Greg stood as well. “Yeah, I should get these hot chocolates to my son and his friend.” He smiled at her. “I hope I’ll see you again soon.” 

She nodded. “Likewise.” She left him, heading back to the offices located near the center of the mall. She had a lot on her mind and she needed some answers. 

Greg headed towards the Santa section. He wondered if Steven had gotten through the line yet. 

-

Jasper leaned back in her chair and checked her watch. It was nearly time for her break. She just had to get through two more children and she would be able to go get lunch and get out of this suit. She grabbed her water bottle from its place beneath the chair and raised it to her lips, taking a deep drink. She straightened herself and smiled, happy the beard hid most of her expression as she looked very tired now. 

She looked at the next person in line. “Ho ho ho, merry…” She stopped when she saw who it was that was coming to see her. It was that Rose's son. She stared at him in surprise as he came to stand beside her on the chair. 

Peridot cleared her throat. “Santa, aren’t you going to sit this boy on your lap and ask him what he wants for Christmas?” She was just as tired as Jasper and wanted to get this shift over with. 

Jasper let out a sigh then lifted the boy up and put him on her lap. “Hello little boy, what would you like for Christmas?” 

Steven smiled. “Hi Jasper. It's nice to see you again.” He kept his voice down so as not to spoil it for the other kids. “I came here with my friend Connie today, she's never met Santa before.” He smiled. “I’m happy you’ll be her first one though.” 

Jasper was baffled. The boy clearly knew she wasn’t Santa and yet he had still come. Perhaps it was all for the sake of his friend? She frowned a bit. She couldn’t forget that this was the son of Rose, the woman who had taken Persimmon Diamond from her. She would stick to her script though, determined to do her job right. “Well what would you like for Christmas?”

Steven smiled. “I want peace on earth and goodwill towards men! Oh and a new bike.” 

She nodded. “Well if you’re very good and behave then I’m sure you’ll get that new bike." 

Steven smiled and hugged her, causing Jasper to blush. “Thank you Santa!” He hopped down and ran to the exit where his father was waiting. Jasper scowled at the man but quickly recovered and looked towards the next child. This one was presumably Steven's friend. 

She walked up to Jasper and looked up at her, adjusting her glasses as she studied her. “Hello, my name is Connie Maheshwaran. I was brought here to meet you by my friend Steven…” She looked confused. “Are you really this ‘Santa Claus’ person?” 

Jasper hesitated. She had been taught to answer these kinds of questions in the very brief run through she was given before taking this job. She smiled a bit. “Well you see Santa is very busy this time of year. So he has people like me come to the mall and help him do his job by seeing to the children here while he takes care of delivering the presents in the North Pole.” 

Connie nodded. “So I see. How do we proceed?” 

Jasper had never encountered somebody like this young girl before, she almost found herself laughing at the technical way she talked. “Well you sit on my lap and I’ll ask you what you would like for Christmas.” 

Connie started to climb onto Jasper's lap, receiving help from Jasper partway through the attempt. Jasper smiled at her. 

“So, Connie, what would you like for Christmas?” 

Connie thought. “Well my parents buy me my presents, as long as they aren’t too expensive or dangerous, and as long as my grades are good…” She took a moment to think. “But if I could say something I really want it would have to be a quad copter.” She looked at Jasper. 

Jasper nodded. “Well as long as you behave yourself and keep being a good girl I’ll see to it that you get your copter okay?” 

Connie nodded. “Alright, thank you ma'am.” She smiled a little and then hopped down. She turned to Jasper and bowed to her. “Happy holidays.” She then turned and left. 

Jasper waited until the girl was out of sight before she stood up and stretched, groaning as she heard a cracking sound coming from her back. Peridot approached her and cleared her throat. “Come on, let's get changed and grab some lunch.” 

Jasper nodded and followed Peridot through the nearest maintenance door. The mall had all sorts of doors like this that connected to the back passages of the mall. All of the passages ran towards the offices and more importantly the changing rooms. “So Peridot, when we were talking you said that you've done this kind of thing before?” 

Peridot looked at her. “Yeah, I got drafted into it the first time, against my will I might add, and I’ve been doing it every year since.” 

Jasper kept following her. “If the first time was against your will then why keep doing it?” 

Peridot took a moment to think. “I suppose it’s because I like it. It's fun, you meet lots of interesting people, and you get to play a character.” 

“I see. The money isn’t too bad either is it?” 

Peridot chuckled. “No it is not.” She sighed. “And goodness knows I need it.” She glanced at Jasper. “I know this is forward but do you know anybody who's looking for an apartment? Somebody who likes dogs preferably.” 

Jasper was a bit surprised. “Actually now that you mention it I’m looking for a new place to stay. The rent on my apartment is getting to be a little much and I wouldn’t mind moving into something more agreeable.” 

Peridot looked at her like she was some kind of savior. “Really? You’re looking for a place?” 

Jasper nodded. “Yeah, but I'd have to check out your place first, make sure it’s big enough, and meet this dog.” 

“He's a corgi named Pumpkin. He's very well behaved and loves cuddles.” She started talking about her dog and the apartment. Jasper listened, asking questions as they finally reached the changing rooms. They changed into their regular clothes and went to lunch together. 

-

Steven smiled up at his dad. He was still really excited from getting to come to the mall and that he got to bring Connie with him. “Hey dad!” 

Greg smiled at his son. “Hey Shtoo-ball!” He patted his head then pulled a cup from the holder he was carrying and held it out to Steven. “One hot chocolate.” 

Steven eagerly took it and sipped slowly, smiling at the sweet taste and the warm feeling from the drink. He licked his lips. “That tastes good.” He looked up at his dad. “Thanks!” 

He nodded. “How was Santa?” 

“Good. It was Jasper, playing him this year. You remember her right? The nice lady who installed our new fridge.” Steven took another sip of his drink. He didn’t notice how his father paled when he mentioned Jasper. 

“Oh… well I’m glad she's doing well. Maybe we'll get to see her again.” 

Steven smiled and nodded. “I hope so, she seems like a really interesting lady!” 

His dad nodded. “Yeah. Well how do you think Connie is doing?” 

“I bet she's having fun.” He smiled and turned back toward the setting. Connie walked out a few moments later and went to Steven. “So Connie, what did you think?” 

Connie took a moment to consider. “It was interesting…” She seemed to be thinking about her experience. “I’m not entirely sure I see the point though.” 

Steven's dad smiled. “That's perfectly fine, you said that you didn’t grow up with this so it’s perfectly reasonable that you wouldn’t understand it.” He held her cup of hot chocolate out to her. “Here is your hot chocolate by the way.” 

Connie smiled and took it, taking a sip. “Mmm! That tastes good!” 

Steven nodded. “Thanks for trying Connie.” He looked up at his dad. “Can we go shopping? I want to pick up some presents for mom.” 

Connie nodded. “Yes, I would like to do the same for my parents.” 

His dad nodded. “Alright.” He checked his watch. “We've got plenty of time.” He knew that they would have lots of energy from their cocoa too and that it would be good to have them use up some of that. “Where to first?” 

Connie pointed to a shop that sold cooking instruments. “My mother could use a new spatula.” 

Steven nodded. “I think mom needs a new cooking knife right?” 

Greg nodded. “Yes, come on you two.” He led the way to the shop followed closely by the two children. On the way to the shop he looked back at the children. “Alright, now stay close to me, there's a lot of traffic this time of year and we don't want to have any,” he didn’t get to finish his sentence as he accidentally ran into a thin woman dressed in a yellow work suit. She had a nose shaped like a bird's beak and a round face.

The woman squawked as she fell down and landed on her behind. Greg stumbled back and looked at her. He stepped over and knelt. “I’m sorry! Are you alright?” He examined her to see if she was hurt.

She glared at him. “Watch where you’re going!” She stood up and ran her hands down her suit, trying to brush off any dust or grime. “Honestly, people never pay attention these days, why do you even have eyes if you don’t use them?” 

She was about to go on when a large woman walked up behind her and cleared her throat. “Miss Maegan, is there a reason you've stopped working?” The woman stood at more than six feet tall and seemed to loom over all those around her. She was dressed in a sharp business suit with pants and had a serious face. Her hair was a bright blonde and she had a yellow diamond pin in her lapel.

The smaller woman paled and stiffened as she turned to her. “Miss Diamond! I was just reprimanding this man for running into me.” She gestured towards Greg. 

The woman sighed and scowled at the woman. “Get back to work Miss Maegan, I’ll take care of this.” 

She frowned. “But ma'am there really isn't-" she was cut off when the large woman shot her a glare, causing her to shut her mouth and look down. “Yes ma'am.” She shuffled off to finish whatever work she was supposed to have been doing. 

The large woman turned towards Greg and adopted a more neutral expression. “I’m sorry about that. My assistant can get a little distracted at times.” 

Greg raised a hand and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, it’s perfectly fine. It really was my fault anyways.” Steven and Connie both stood at Greg's sides and looked up at this woman. 

She looked at the children and then at Greg. “All the same let me make it up to you.” She reached into her jacket and pulled out a pocket book. She flipped it open and pulled out some cards which she held out to Greg. “I’m Yasmine Diamond, one of the managers of this mall. We value our customers here and would like to offer you these gift cards as an apology for our clumsiness.” 

Greg hesitantly took the cards. “Um, thank you? But like I said there's no reason for-" She held up a hand to stop him. 

“There is plenty of reason.” She tucked pocket book back into her jacket and straightened it. “Have a pleasant day sir.” She turned and walked off, heading in the same direction her assistant had gone.

Steven looked up at his dad and frowned. “Dad, are you okay?”

Greg looked at the cards and then slipped out a business card from between them. He tucked the cards into his pocket and studied the business card for a few seconds. “Yeah, I’m alright Steven.” He smiled at the kids. “Come on, let's go buy those gifts.” 

He ushered the children forward, making sure to watch where he was going. He felt nervous now. That had been The Yasmine Diamond, the sister of Persimmon Diamond who many believed his wife had caused to disappear. He considered himself lucky that she hadn’t recognized him, her temper was famous to even him. He wanted to get the kids finished with their shopping and get out of there quickly before any other incidents happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be taking a break from this story and work on some other projects for a little while but I'll come back to this eventually. I hope you enjoyed this and feel free to comment, give kudos, or anything you like. Happy Holidays everybody!


	6. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bismuth and Pearl go on a date and we learn a little about them and Persimmon Diamond.

Pearl frantically lifted up blouses and held them in front of her. “Too bright.” She tossed it and lifted another one up. “Too blue.” She tossed it and looked out at her clothes, trying to find the perfect outfit. She eventually just groaned and put her head in her hands. “Dammit!” 

There was a knock at her door. She looked at it and sighed before going to open it. Amethyst was standing on the other side with a bottle of soda in one hand when Pearl opened the door. Amethyst smiled at her. “Hey Pearl, you having trouble dressing for your date with Bismuth?” 

Pearl nodded. “I don’t know what to wear! Everything I have is just so!” She groaned and turned around. The growing pile of clothes on one side of her bed was an eyesore. 

Amethyst walked up and looked at the mountain of clothes. “Geez, it looks like my room in here.” 

Pearl rubbed her temple and sighed. “Amethyst, please!” The last thing she needed right now was a reminder of how bad the mess was getting.

Amethyst patted Pearl’s back. “Come on, I’m just trying to lighten the mood.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “So why can’t you wear any of these blouses?” 

Pearl sighed and looked at them again. “They’re all too… gaudy. Bismuth won’t like any of them.” She covered her face and sat down. “This is going to be an awful date. She’s going to see that I can’t dress well and she’s going to think that I’m ugly and she’ll never want to see me again.” She started to sob. 

Amethyst sighed and scooted over to her. She wrapped an arm around her and pulled the other down so her head was on her shoulder. “Pearl, you gotta calm down. Bismuth totally likes you and she’s gonna like whatever you wear.” She gently patted her head. “Come on, we’ll get you looking hot and Bismuth will want to kiss you and take you back to her place and…” She let the silence speak volumes. 

Pearl pulled her head away and looked at Amethyst with a bright red face. “Amethyst, that’s! How could you! I can’t believe you would!” She finally leaned in. “Do you really think she would?” 

Amethyst chuckled. “If that somebody is as cute and special as you are.” She teased softly. 

Pearl blushed and put her hands over her mouth. “Amethyst!” 

Amethyst chuckled. “I’m sorry but you have to see the look on your face!” She poked her nose. “But now that I’ve got your mind off Bismuth why don’t we get you dressed?” 

Pearl blinked and nodded. “Yeah, okay, good idea.” She stood back up and worked with Amethyst to find her outfit for the evening. After a long and arduous process they finally decided on an outfit that they thought Bismuth would like.

-

Bismuth was outside the arcade. She looked at her watch again and then looked up. It was getting really close to their agreed meeting time and she was starting to get nervous. As long as she had known Pearl the girl had never been late to anything. She began to pace slowly and looked at the street. There were no cars or any sign of people coming. She pulled out her phone and flipped through her messages, making sure Pearl hadn’t called or texted to call off the date. 

“Bismuth?” Bismuth looked up to see Pearl standing before her. Her date was dressed in a blue blouse with a poofy purple sweater and a pair of blue jeans. Pearl smiled and stepped forward. “Good evening.” 

Bismuth’s heart began to beat faster and her cheeks grew warm with a blush as she looked at the other. She was so beautiful. “Um, yeah, uh, it is.” Her eyes widened and she smacked her cheek to snap herself out of it. “I mean good evening!” 

Pearl flinched a bit and frowned at her. “Bismuth, are you okay?” 

She nodded. “Yep! I’m fine!” Her voice was an octave or two higher than normal. She looked at Pearl and then gestured to the arcade. “Wanna go in?” 

Pearl nodded and moved to Bismuth, putting one arm around the large woman’s. She leaned against her a bit. “Let’s go.” 

Bismuth stiffened up and nodded. She took some uneasy steps to the entrance of the arcade and opened the door. They went in together. It was a bit crowded, the musk of plastic products, soda, and the underlying smell of body odor hung over the place. The games released various electronic sounds as they showed previews of the gameplay and there was the sounds of cheering from a crowd over at the shooter games. 

Bismuth looked over at Pearl and smiled a little. “Um, so, do you want something from the concession stand?” 

Pearl nodded. “Yes, just a water and some popcorn.” She pulled away. “I’ll get some change.” She stated, heading over to the machine. 

Bismuth went to the concessions and bought the food for herself and for Pearl. Then she moved towards the other who was moving through the games looking for something to play. She walked to her and held out her snacks. “So, where should we start?” 

Pearl took her things and smiled. “How about something simple like table hockey?” She took a few bites of popcorn and sipped her water.

“That sounds good.” They went over to one of the tables and started a game. Pearl got the puck first and sent it over to Bismuth’s side but her date sent it back immediately and scored on Pearl’s goal. 

Pearl blushed a bit and reset the game. This time she went in hard, smacking the puck so that is sailed across the space and Bismuth had to move quickly to knock it away from her goal and send it back to Pearl’s side. Pearl sent it back and managed to score on Bismuth. They looked each other in the eyes and smiled, becoming serious. They had a pretty heated game after that but it eventually came to a final score of 10-7 with Bismuth in the lead. She stepped back and cheered. 

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!” She walked around to Pearl and patted her on the shoulder. “You did great Pearl, you almost had me in those last rounds.” 

Pearl pouted a little bit but eventually extended her hand out to Bismuth. “Good job.” 

Bismuth smiled and shook Pearl’s hand. “Thanks. Why don’t you pick the next thing we do?” 

Pearl took a moment to think about her options and look around at the various games in the arcade before looking back at Bismuth. “Well how are you at dancing games?” 

Bismuth chuckled awkwardly. “I’ve got two left feet but I’d love to see you dance.” 

Pearl blushed a little and nodded. “Alright, then let’s see how far I can go.” 

They made their way over to the dancing game where one person had already claimed a machine and was moving rather furiously on the play area, matching the arrows on the screen perfectly. Pearl looked at Bismuth. “Can you hold my sweater?” She asked, pulling the warm clothing off over her head. 

Bismuth nodded and accepted the clothing, folding it over her arm. She watched as Pearl climbed up onto the platform and put her money in. It took her a few moments to decide on a song but once she did she pressed play and stepped back into a ready position. The music began a moment later and the arrows followed. 

Pearl held her arms at her sides and slowly tapped her foot while she waited for the arrows to reach the top of the screen. Once they did she started moving her feet in quick succession, matching each arrow exactly and in perfect timing. She moved her arms and swayed her hips, showing off some of her dancing skills as she moved. 

Bismuth just kind of stared at her in awe of how graceful and beautiful she looked. She tuned out the music as she watched Pearl sway, feeling her throat go dry. Pearl jumped and twisted, adding some style to the dance while never missing a beat. Bismuth kept staring at her and when Pearl turned to her, breathing deep and a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, she smiled, feeling so special for being able to watch such a magnificent woman. Pearl’s mouth moved and Bismuth watched her pale lips, smiling softly to herself. She realized Pearl was talking to her a moment later.

“Bismuth?” Pearl asked. “Bismuth, did you hear me?” 

Bismuth blushed and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry! What did you say?” She was so embarrassed that she had zoned out while the other was talking to her. 

Pearl smiled. “I asked if you thought my dancing was good.” 

Bismuth nodded. “Yeah! You’re incredible!” She couldn’t help but to smile at Pearl. She thought the other was too amazing for her not to admire. 

There was a scoff from the other dance platform that drew both Bismuth and Pearl’s attention. They looked at the person there. It was a teenager with a short brown hair cut and an annoying smirk on his face. He was dressed in a polo shirt and jeans. 

Pearl put her hands on her hips and turned towards him. “I’m sorry, did I say something funny?” 

The teenager looked at her and chuckled. “I just thought that your friend calling you incredible was pretty interesting.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I mean you didn’t even pick a very difficult song, and your dancing was cheesy and boring.” 

Bismuth balled her hand into a fist. “Hey! Don’t talk about her like that! Pearl is ten times as talented as a punk like you!” 

The boy seemed a little surprised but he quickly smiled and scoffed again. “I doubt that.” 

Bismuth pointed a finger at him. “Oh yeah? Then how about you prove it?” 

Pearl held up her hands. “Bismuth, you really don’t have to-“

The boy spoke before she could finish. “Oh yeah? What have you got in mind burly?” 

Bismuth was getting more and more annoyed with this boy by the second. “A dance off! Pick any song and she’ll beat you at it!” 

The guy looked from Bismuth to Pearl. “And what do I get in return? I already know I’m the best so there’s no reason for me to accept this challenge in the first place. Besides you and your girlfriend aren’t really worth my time.” He turned and started to walk off. “So long losers!” 

Bismuth growled. She wanted to chase that jerk down and stomp him into the ground but she didn’t want to make a scene on her first date with Pearl. She looked down and tried to push her anger down into the pit of her stomach. 

“Hey! Pretty boy!” 

Bismuth looked up to see Pearl chasing after the boy. He had turned back and was looking at her with a bored but cocky expression. 

“Yeah? Something I can help you with?” 

Pearl put a hand on her hip. “If you really are “the best” then you have no reason not to accept our challenge. But if you’re afraid I understand.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I would be afraid going up against me as well.” 

Bismuth was surprised that this was coming from Pearl of all people. She kept watching, wondering what would happen next. 

The boy’s face turned red and he frowned. “I’m not afraid of you.” 

Pearl smiled. “Then prove it pretty boy. Fight me.” She leaned forward.

The boy closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. When he opened his eyes there was an intensity behind them. He smiled. “Alright, you’re on. But I still want real stakes.”

Pearl nodded. “Fine by me. What do you want?” 

The boy looked her up and down and then smiled. “How about when I win you give me a kiss?” 

Pearl blushed and leaned back, disgusted by his suggestion. Bismuth moved over to Pearl and stood beside her. “What do we get if we win?” 

Pearl looked at her then took a hold of her hand, drawing strength from the other’s presence. 

The boy smiled. “Name it.” 

Pearl looked at Bismuth before smiling and speaking. “When we win we want you to get down on your hands and knees and apologize to both of us.” 

He nodded. “Fine.” He held a hand out to her. 

Pearl took his hand in a firm grip and shook. 

“I’m Kevin by the way.”

“Pearl, and this is my girlfriend Bismuth.” She pointed over her shoulder at Bismuth. 

Bismuth blushed when she realized Pearl had just said she was her girlfriend. She looked at the other and couldn’t help but to smile. Pearl smiled up at her in return before turning back and heading to the machine. 

Kevin followed, smirking with confidence. He was cocky and certain of his absolute victory. He climbed onto the platform and payed for the game. “I’ll pick the song.” 

Pearl nodded. “Fine by me. Don’t pick something too easy.” She smiled. 

Kevin blushed lightly and moved down the roster of songs until he found what he wanted. He tapped the song called “Feet of Fury” and then stepped back into the ready position. The screen displayed the name of the song wreathed in flames before displaying a party scene and beginning a countdown sequence. 

Pearl smiled and prepared herself, watching the countdown carefully. She was ready to take this smug jerk down a peg or two and she was going to enjoy every second of it. The countdown finally reached “1” and the song began. 

Bismuth watched as the first steps raced up the screen at a speed that almost made her dizzy. She watched the two competitors, observing how both moved in an almost synchronized way as the arrows reached the indicators. Pearl was graceful and moved with a purpose, never missing a beat. This Kevin boy was dramatic and confident, matching Pearl beat for beat, but it was only the beginning of the song. 

As the two of them danced a small crowd began to gather, drawn in by the incredible spectacle of the two dancers. Some began to cheer and call to them, giving them praise and admiration. The two dancers didn’t pay them any attention, too focused on keeping up with the game to be distracted now. 

As the song continued the crowd split into teams, and chants for each dancer rang out as the song became more intense. Pearl was still moving gracefully, looking like a ribbon moving in the wind as she hit each arrow perfectly, a thin sheen of sweat was on her forehead now. Kevin moved with style and purpose, looking cool but he was also starting to look winded. 

The song continued, each dancer was getting tired now, but they both knew that it was almost over. They spared a brief but intense look with each other before looking back at the screen, the cheers of the crowd spurring them on for the final moments of the contest. The arrows raced up the screen, the music building to the final climactic moment, both dancers were moving in a frenzy towards the end, each keeping up as best they could. The music got up to one final rush and then finished on a high and powerful note before fireworks filled the screen. 

Both dancers leaned back against the railing on the backs of the platforms and panted, watching the screen as it cycled through an animation. Soon a bold “FINAL SCORES!!!” filled the screen and everybody held their breath while waiting. A cute character appeared and held up two cards with scores that were almost identical, save for about ten points which were in favor of Pearl. A big flashing “WINNER!” appeared on Pearl’s side of the screen and triumphant music played as the section of the crowd which had been cheering for Pearl went into an uproar upon seeing she had won. The other section groaned and shouted before disbanding back into the rest of the arcade. Bismuth jumped and cheered, waving Pearl’s sweater around like a flag before running up and hugging Pearl over the railing, picking up the smaller girl and twirling her around in a circle. 

Pearl yelped when Bismuth first grabbed her but it quickly turned to laughing as he held onto Bismuth while the other twirled her around. Bismuth set Pearl down and smiled at her. 

“You were amazing!” 

Pearl was blushing and smiling. “Thank you!” She was filled with a sense of euphoria but soon enough she remembered her foe and turned around to see Kevin looking at the screen in shock. He seemed frozen with confusion. 

Pearl moved over and stood beside Kevin, smirking at him. “So, looks like I won.” 

Kevin was snapped out of his daze and looked at her. He scowled. “You cheated! There’s no way I could’ve lost to somebody like you!” 

Pearl put her hands on her hips. “The game was recording every move we made, and we had a deal. Honor it.” 

Kevin was shaking with frustration but he hung his head and nodded. “Fine.” He knelt down. 

Pearl smiled. Bismuth joined her and looked down at the boy, waiting for his apology. 

Kevin slowly pressed his forehead to the ground and put his hands on the ground too, bowing as low as he could. “I’m very sorry for my actions and I hope you can forgive me.” 

Pearl nodded and bent down, patting the back of his head. “You’re apology is accepted, but never do it again.” 

Kevin mumbled as he stood back up and then stalked away, going to find something else to do. Pearl looked at Bismuth and smiled. “I’m hungry. Are you hungry?” 

Bismuth nodded. “I could eat.” She gave the other her sweater back then led the other out of the arcade and went to a nearby Donny’s. They got a table quickly and sat down. After they gave the waiter their drinks they began to talk. 

“So Pearl, we’ve hung out a few times with the other girls but I realize that I don’t know much about your life. Why don’t you tell me a little about that?” Bismuth suggested. She wanted to know all that she could about Pearl. 

Pearl nodded. “Alright, well I grew up in Empire city with my mother. I spent most of my childhood studying in school. I was involved with some extracurricular activities as well, predominantly dance and fencing. I was also involved with the drama club at my school though it was mostly just during musicals. After I finished highschool I moved out here to go to university. I lived with my cousins then, though things didn’t quite work out.” 

Bismuth nodded. “That’s too bad. I grew up locally, well a little more south of here. I was raised by my Papa after Mama died when I was five.” She took on a tone of pride when she spoke of her father. “Papa was a handyman. He could fix anything if he just put his mind to it. He brought me up showing me how to fix everything too. When I wasn’t in school I was helping him to fix cars and install dishwashers. Around the time I turned thirteen we moved closer to town and then we built a forge on our property. We started making our own equipment and all manner of things with the forge. I finished school a few years later and went to college to get a degree in mechanical engineering. But I came back a year later when Papa passed.” She adopted a more somber tone now. 

“Papa wasn’t exactly young you see, he was almost seventy when I went to college. Being a handyman is a very demanding job, and though Papa was strong his heart couldn’t run forever. It gave out on him. I was called back after his heart attack and stayed with him in the hospital until he passed.” She smiled. “He was so happy right to the end. He passed away in his sleep, a smile on his face. After that I dropped out and stayed here, taking care of his affairs and then taking over for him. This town needs somebody to fix things, and even though my Papa wanted me to get an education I know he’d be happy that I’m helping everybody out.” 

Pearl just sat there and listened as the other spoke, carefully considering what the other was telling her and deciding how much she wanted to tell her. About the time Bismuth stopped talking their waiter came over with their drinks and got their orders. Once they left Pearl turned her attention back to Bismuth. 

“It’s too bad about your father. I never knew mine, he and my mother didn’t really get along so he was never around when I was growing up. But it’s alright. Let me continue to tell you about my life. While I was at university I met Rose, she was finishing up her courses when I was starting, she and I became the best of friends however so we kept having fun even when we weren’t both in school. She and I started to date after a couple of years, and then she began to work for Persimmon Diamond.”

Bismuth looked at Pearl in surprise. “She worked for her?” 

Pearl nodded. “Yeah, and she wasn’t the only one. You see I was going to university to study business then, and part of my studies required me to complete an internship at a business. My internship was done at the main offices of Diamond Incorporated. I was an assistant there, to Whitney Diamond.” 

Bismuth’s eyes went wide as saucers and she just kind of stared at Pearl for a few seconds. Her mind was reeling with the implications. She and nearly everyone in the county knew who the diamonds were, and they knew that Diamond Industries was a strong company that had been rapidly growing for a few years now and was progressively becoming one of the most powerful companies in the state. For Pearl to have been an assistant to the CEO of that company meant that she had been part of its inner workings, even if it was only for an internship. 

Bismuth leaned forward and spoke eagerly. “What was it like?” 

Pearl looked at her and then sighed. “It was difficult.” She sipped her drink. “I’m not sure how much you know about the diamonds but they are not exactly friendly people. They are analytical, intelligent, strong, and dangerous. Working for the woman who ran that company pushed me to limits I didn’t know I had. She always expected me be the best and to never let her down. She fired three interns in the first week because of small things like bringing her the wrong coffee or not organizing her desk correctly.”

Bismuth frowned. “And you?” 

Pearl chuckled. “Me? I made it all the way through the internship.” 

Bismuth gasped. “You did?” 

Pearl nodded. “Yes. I finished the internship and graduated from university with a full degree. Whitney was so impressed with me that she offered me a job and sent me to help out her youngest sister, Persimmon Diamond, who was then working on constructing the mall that exists today.” Pearl giggled a little and gracefully placed a hand over her mouth. 

Bismuth raised an eyebrow in question when she heard Pearl’s laughter. She wasn’t certain why she was laughing. “Pearl?” 

Pearl looked at her and blushed, moving her hand down. “I’m sorry, I was simply thinking of Persimmon. She was a very interesting young lady, younger than I was then. She was trying her best to make her sisters proud of her, to prove that she belonged in the world they ruled, the world of business and industry.” 

Bismuth listened carefully. She had never met any of the diamonds in person and she had only heard secondhand accounts about them from others like Garnet and Rose. Nobody had ever told her about Persimmon before. “And did she?” 

Pearl shook her head. “No, she was in way over her head, but she knew enough to get by. She was a sweet girl, smart and creative too.” 

Bismuth nodded. “I’ve heard people talk about her before. When did Rose start to work for her?” 

Pearl sucked in a breath. “Well Rose was already working for her when I was transferred over there. When I first went to work for Persimmon Rose gave me some advice on how to help her and what to do to keep her happy. The thing was that Rose was Persimmon’s right hand woman. She was practically a partner in everything but name. Anything Persimmon failed at Rose quickly stepped up to recover. I think that if Rose hadn’t been helping Persimmon that mall would have never been built.”

Bismuth frowned. “I’m trying to understand all this. If Rose worked so closely with Persimmon why isn’t she running the mall instead? What happened to Persimmon?”

Pearl took a deep breath. “That is a bit of a story. If you really want to hear it though I will tell you.” 

Bismuth nodded. “Yes, if it’s okay?” 

Their waiter came with their food and set it on the table for them. They refilled their drinks and then left them. Pearl looked back at Bismuth and then smiled. “Why don’t we talk while we eat?” 

Bismuth nodded and cut her grilled chicken. She took a few bites and enjoyed the taste, letting Pearl do the same before she continued with her story. 

“It was about twelve or thirteen years ago.” She paused to think about the time. “The mall had been finished for about three years and the first businesses inside were set up. We were making a lot of money off of the area, but things weren’t as calm on the inside as they appeared.” She sighed as she thought of it. 

“The one thing I learned very early about business is that you have to have the mind for it, or else you will fail. Persimmon didn’t have the mind for it. The stress of running the mall was weighing down on her, making her lose sleep and make mistakes which only caused her more stress and made her start to turn to certain… items in an attempt to try and cope.”

Bismuth looked at Pearl and took a breath. “Is that how she died?” 

Pearl shook her head. “No, it’s more complicated than that. When I and Rose discovered her addiction we helped her to recover. We couldn’t exactly take her to a rehabilitation clinic as that would have put her condition into the public eye. We needed discretion so we did it in her home, away from the public, away from the media. It took weeks but she finally recovered. She was back to normal, or so I thought.” 

“I don’t know exactly what happened. Rose was with her on the day. I left them early that morning to go in and handle business at the mall. Then when I went back, the house was empty, most of Persimmon’s clothes and a few other things were gone. I called Rose first to see what had happened, she wouldn’t tell me anything.” 

Bismuth was practically on the edge of her seat as she listened. She was a bit let down however by the fact that Pearl didn’t know. “That’s it?” 

Pearl nodded. “I’m afraid so.” She took a few bites of her food and swallowed before speaking again. “I’m sorry, I kind of derailed the conversation. Why don’t we get back to talking about our lives?”

Bismuth nodded. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Why don’t we talk about the present instead of the past?” 

Pearl nodded. “Yes, let’s. Why don’t you tell me a little about your business now?” 

Bismuth smiled. “Well I’m still kind of the handywoman around here. Whenever something new comes along the first thing I do is learn how it works and what I need to do to fix it. I make lots of house calls, mostly to folks I know, and fix appliances, cars, electrical systems, and all manner of things. It’s good work and it pays well, plus I’m my own boss.” 

Pearl nodded. “Yes, that does sound nice. It’s a bit like what I have with Rose. We run the store together. She and I started it, then Garnet came in later and wanted to help so we signed her on as a co-owner, though she prefers to act like she’s just another manager.”

Bismuth chuckles. “Yeah, she’s funny like that. Ever since I’ve known her she’s always been real hand-on. She and I knew each other when we were in high school. She’s smart and boy can she lift!” 

Pearl giggled a bit and nodded. “Yes, she certainly can. The job is nice, though it has its moments. To be honest I really like what I do, and I get to meet many interesting people.” She ate some more food and then looked at Bismuth. “You mentioned a forge didn’t you? What is that like?” 

“Smithing? It’s really fulfilling work. Papa actually got the idea from our last name, Smith. He said that where you come from is just as important as where you’re going. But in any case using the forge allows me to make my own equipment and such from scratch. It also lets me repair things that have broken.” She looked around to make sure nobody could hear before leaning in closer to Pearl. 

Pearl leaned in a bit to so she could hear. 

“I also use it to make some things on the side.” She spoke in a hushed tone. 

“What kinds of things?” Pearl inquired. 

“Weapons.” Bismuth smiled from ear-to-ear. 

Pearl blinked and looked at Bismuth in surprise. “Weapons?” 

Bismuth nodded. “Yeah, swords and axes, whips and hammers. I can make armor too, like gauntlets and helmets. And it’s pretty high-quality stuff if I do say so myself!” She was really excited to be sharing this information with Pearl. 

Pearl looked at her and smiled. “That’s incredible!” Ever since she had been a young girl she had always had a fascination with weapons, it was part of what had gotten her into fencing when she was young and she had carried the fascination with her into adulthood. 

Bismuth blushed and smiled. “You really think so?” 

Pearl nodded. “Yeah! I love weapons and armor.” A thought occurred to her. “Wait, you said swords right?” 

Bismuth nodded. “Yeah, I’ve made a dozen or so of them now.” 

Pearl’s eyes turned to stars. “C-could you show them to me sometime?” 

Bismuth’s blush grew. “I would love to.” 

Pearl shook a little with excitement. “It’s a date.” 

Bismuth was excited. She had gotten another date with Pearl without their first one even ending. “Awesome!” She shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. She blushed and looked down until they all went back to eating. 

Pearl smiled, excited and happy. The rest of the date went incredibly well and the two of them spoke more about their lives and the exciting things that were going one. Pearl spoke about how the store was doing and some of the strategies she and the other owners had been employing for the holiday season. Bismuth meanwhile spoke about some of her customers and the exciting adventures she had undergone while fixing people’s appliances. 

Soon enough they were finished with their meal so they paid and headed out. Bismuth took Pearl back home in her truck. She parked and walked Pearl to her door. Once they reached the door Pearl turned to her. 

Pearl smiled and took a hold of Bismuth’s hand. “Thank you for tonight Bismuth, it was wonderful and I’d love to do it again. Preferably at your forge.” She looked up at Bismuth eagerly. 

Bismuth smiled and pulled Pearl into a brief hug. “I had a great time too! I hope we can do this again soon. Until then you can always call me or text.” 

Pearl blushed when Bismuth hugged her and then nodded when the other talked about another date. “Yeah, I’ll see you again soon.” She pulled out her key. “Have a safe drive.” 

Bismuth hesitated before touching Pearl’s shoulder. “Pearl, can I say one more thing before I go?” 

Pearl turned back to her and nodded. “Of course.” 

Bismuth blushed and smiled. She slowly leaned down and closed her eyes, puckering her lips. She stopped a few inches from Pearl’s face and waited, hoping she had made the right choice. Her heart was beating in her ears as she waited, the seconds passing like hours as she waited to see if the other liked her how she thought. 

She felt Pearl’s lips on hers and felt her heart skip a beat as the smaller woman wrapped her arms around Bismuth’s neck and kissed her tenderly. Bismuth wrapped her arms around Pearl and kissed her back, enjoying the kiss for the brief moments it lasted. 

Pearl pulled back first and Bismuth opened her eyes to see Pearl’s face covered in a blush. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim porchlight. She smiled up at her and pulled away completely. 

“I’ll see you again soon.” She opened the door and walked in, leaving Bismuth alone on the porch. 

Bismuth felt a sense of euphoria as she smiled and practically skipped back to her truck. She felt like she was flying as she drove home. 

-

Pearl closed the door and leaned back against it, putting a hand over her mouth and staring at the wall as she waited for her heart to calm down. She smiled as she went upstairs and laid down on her bed, giggling like a fool as she hugged her pillow. She fell asleep smiling. 

-

The next day there was an early meeting. Yasmine waited patiently in her office for Bella diamond to arrive. Her assistant was outside. After a few more minutes her assistant called her on the office phone. Yasmine pressed the speaker. “Speak.” 

“Bella is here ma’am. Should I send her in?” 

Yasmine took a deep breath. “Yes, come in with them, we have much to discuss.” 

Her assistant opened the door and held it as Bella walked in and bowed to Yasmine. “Yasmine, it’s a pleasure to see you.” 

Yasmine walked around her desk and went over to Bella, pulling her younger sister into a huge. Bella hesitated at first before returning the hug. Yasmine couldn’t help herself around Bella, she loved her sister too much. 

Bella smiled as Yasmine pulled back. “I’m glad to see you too sister.” She glanced at her assistant, the quiet mouse of a girl who always held her hands together like she was praying. Bella turned back to Yasmine. “Shall we get started?” 

Yasmine nodded and pulled back, blushing lightly as she walked back to her desk. “Yes, we have much to discuss.” She sat down. 

Bella took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the desk. The assistants both pulled out notepads and pens and sat down in some other chairs. 

Yasmine leaned back and pressed the tips of her fingers together. “Now then, what shall we do about Rose Quartz?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. Feel free to tell me what you thought.


	7. The Scheme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper moves in with Peridot but is surprised by a sudden call from the Diamond sisters who bring her in on a plan they have.

Jasper set the last box of her things in her bedroom. She looked around at the light green walls and drank in the atmosphere of Peridot’s apartment. After the girl had invited Jasper to live with her Jasper had visited the apartment and decided that it would actually be a good place to live. It had taken her almost a week to get everything together and packed but she was doing it. Now she just had to finish unpacking and get used to her new home. She stepped out of her room and walked over to Peridot who was in the kitchen, fiddling with a box containing some sort of microwave meal. 

Jasper grabbed the box and pulled it close to her face so she could read it. She was a bit short sighted but never liked how glasses felt and contacts were a big no for her so she made do. “Enchiladas?” She frowned down at her new roommate. “Why make a microwave meal when you could just cook this?” 

Peridot frowned. “I don’t know how to make those things. Most of my cooking knowledge ends with frying eggs and boiling water.” 

Jasper looked at the box then went over and opened the fridge, looking in to see soda, pickles, some lunchmeat, a couple of takeout containers, and a lot of manufactured crap. She glanced at Peridot before opening the freezer to find a stack of the same kinds of cooked meals as the one she was holding. She sighed and tossed the meal back towards Peridot who stumbled a bit before she awkwardly caught it. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna get you some real food later.” She stated as she closed the freezer. She looked down as Peridot’s dog, Pumpkin, came over and sniffed her foot. Pumpkin looked up at her with a friendly grin and sat back on his haunches. Jasper bent down and patted the dog's head. 

“You can cook?” Peridot asked, surprised Jasper possessed such a skill. 

“Yeah, I learned from my mom when I was young.” She looked at Peridot. “I could teach you if you want?” 

Peridot shook her head. “I don’t think I could learn.” She had tried to cook before and considered herself lucky that she hadn’t burned down the building. 

Jasper smiled. “Anybody can learn if they just put in the effort.” She stood up straight and turned. “I’m gonna finish unpacking now but we'll talk about a menu afterwards okay?” 

Peridot nodded. “Yeah, okay. Oh be careful with putting stuffed animals on the ground. Pumpkin will think they’re his and you’ll never get them back.” 

Pumpkin whined softly when he heard his name and then stood up on his hind legs. Jasper chuckled and nodded. “Noted.” She waved and then returned to her room and started unpacking. 

She worked on unpacking her things for another hour but she stopped when her phone started to ring. She considered letting it ring until she looked at it and saw that the call was coming from none other than Yasmine Diamond. She nearly dropped the device in shock but managed to recover and opened it, answering the call immediately.

“Hello, this is Jasper!” She was nervous and her throat was dry. She listened for the response. 

“Hello Miss Noreena. This is Yasmine Diamond of Diamond Industries.” 

“Yes Ma'am. I know who you are.” Jasper’s palms were sweaty. She had met Yasmine only a handful of times when she had been dating Persimmon and she was under the impression that the woman didn’t really care for her. She was puzzled as to why she would just be calling her out of the blue like this. 

“Yes, I should think you do. Now listen to me, and do not interrupt.” Jasper closed her mouth and listened. “I and my sister Belle are currently together at the mall office. We would like to invite you to come here today so that we may discuss something.” 

Jasper waited a moment to see if she was going to say more before responding. “I see. May I ask what this is about?” 

“It's about Persimmon.” Jasper felt a lump in the pit of her stomach when the other mentioned her old girlfriend. “Can we expect you in the mall office within the hour?” 

Jasper clenched her free hand. “I’ll be there.” 

“Excellent. We shall be expecting you.” She hung up. Jasper looked at her phone screen before turning it off and letting out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She pressed the top of her phone against her forehead and took a few deep breaths as she thought.

She wasn’t certain what to expect from this meeting they had called her for. Maybe they were going to confront her about something or maybe it was some sort of grief sharing thing. She was nervous thinking about it so she started to get ready, changing into business clothes and doing her makeup so she would make a good impression regardless of the subject. She then stepped out of the room and closed the door. “I’m going out.” She stated. 

Peridot looked over at her with a puzzled look. “Out? What about the menu?” 

Jasper sighed. “Send me a text with some meals you’d like and I’ll pick up ingredients on my way back.” She stepped towards the door. “I’m afraid I have to go and take care of something but I’ll see you soon. Please don’t touch any of my things while I’m out.” She stepped out and headed towards her work, questions racing through her mind as she walked. 

-

Yasmine Diamond placed the phone on the receiver and sat back in her chair, looking across the desk at her sister and their assistants. “She's on her way.” 

Belle nodded. “Good.” She rubbed her hands together nervously. “Are you certain we should bring her into this? I know she and Persimmon were close but that doesn't mean she wants the same things we do.” 

Yasmine frowned. “Belle, Jasper was closer to Persimmon than I, in some ways she was closer to her than even you.” She touched her sister's hands, trying to comfort her. “You know how she was after Persimmon disappeared. I saw you comforting her.” 

Belle looked down but turned one hand over to hold Yasmine's. “Yes, she was devastated. I had to stop her from attacking Rose.” She sighed. “Sometimes I wish I had not stopped her.” 

Yasmine nodded. “I know Belle.” She smiled. “But don’t worry. We will have justice for our little sister.” 

Belle nodded. “Yes. We will.” She looked at her assistant. The thin woman with low cut bangs had her head bowed and her hands pressed together. 

“Mazarine do you have any thoughts?” 

The woman looked up when she heard her name and then hesitated before speaking. “Whatever you think is best ma'am.”

Belle sighed. “I’ve told you before that I value your opinion. Please share it.”

She fiddled with the edge of her blouse before responding. “I think, if somebody did to my siblings what you think this Rose person did to yours. I would do my best to make them suffer.” 

Yasmine smiled. “She’s smart.” She looked at her own assistant briefly before picking a file on her desk. “Shall we wait until Jasper arrives to get started?” 

Belle nodded. “I think that would be for the best. She will want to hear what we have in mind.”

“Yes, I agree. In the meantime why don’t we discuss business?” 

They spent some time talking about the mall and their respective areas of involvement therein. They started talking about their older sister and her management of the company next. Soon enough there was a knock on the door. 

“Come in.” Yasmine called, sitting up straight. 

Jasper slowly opened the door but she froze when she saw the collection of people inside. She looked around at all of them before stepping in and closing the door. “Hello Miss Diamond, and hello to you too Miss Diamond. You're both looking very well. Thank you for having me today.” She took on a very formal tone, trying to act professional in front of these two who were both the sisters of her former girlfriend as well as her bosses. 

Belle smiled at her. “Hello Jasper, it’s good to see you again.” She stood up and held a hand out towards the beefy woman. 

Jasper hesitated before taking the hand and shake it, visibly relaxing a little. She nodded. “It's good to see you too.”

Belle stepped back and cleared her throat. Her assistant immediately vacated her chair and held it out for Jasper to sit in. Jasper blushed lightly as she took her seat and scooted a little closer to the desk. “So, um, may I ask why you called me here?” 

Yasmine leaned forward a bit, studying Jasper carefully as she spoke. “As I said over the phone, it has to do with our sister, your former lover, Persimmon. However it is not just about her, it is also about Rose Quartz.” 

Jasper’s eyes widened and she leaned forward. “I’m listening.” She had been dreading this meeting before but now she was only curious about what they had to say.

Yasmine smiled and held her hands together. “As you know that disgusting reprobate is responsible for what happened to our sister. We have asked her for answers time and time again but she refuses to give them to us. We even brought in a legal team at one point but they told us there was no case.” She was scowling now. “And so we have decided to take matters into our own hands.” 

Jasper sat patiently and listened. She looked around at those in the room. She was still waiting to hear why they had called her there. 

Yasmine continued. “We are going to force her to shut down her store and ruin her life.”

Jasper frowned. “What will that solve? Persimmon will still be gone and I’ll still be…” She paused. “I’ll still miss her.” She felt her chest tighten when she thought of Persimmon. She had tried dating others after their relationship had ended but nobody had made her feel like Persimmon had. She wasn’t sure what hurting the woman most considered responsible would accomplish. 

Belle reached a hand over and touched Jasper's arm. “I know it is confusing but allow us to explain. By forcing her to shut down her store we will make her lose something important to her. Perhaps the most important thing to her. Just like what she did to us.” 

Jasper looked at them. If these two thought that store was the most important thing to Rose then they didn’t know about her family. She was tempted not to say anything but she decided they should know. “I don’t think that store is the most important thing to her.” She sighed. “She has a husband, and a child.” 

Yasmine smacked the top of her desk with her hand. “What?” She looked at her assistant. “Why did you not include this in your report?” 

“You just said you wanted to know about the store ma'am.” Her assistant seemed to shrink in her chair. “The family seemed irrelevant.” 

“Irrelevant? Was my family irrelevant?!” She rose and pulled a hand back, overcome with rage and intending to take it out on this woman. However before she could move Belle shot up and grabbed her sister's arm, stopping her. 

“Yasmine! Stop!” She kept hold of her sister and pulled her close, forcing her to calm down. 

Yasmine struggled at first but soon she calmed down and her expression softened. Once she was calm she turned towards Belle and pressed her forehead to her sister's. “I’m sorry.” 

Belle pulled away and frowned. “Don’t apologize to me, apologize to her.” She gestured towards Yasmine’s assistant. 

Yasmine slowly pulled back and looked at her assistant who was shaking in fear now. Yasmine sighed. “I’m sorry Miss Rivet, I did not mean to explode at you. I simply misunderstood your reasoning.” 

The assistant nodded. “I accept your apology.” She stood. “Allow me to go and assemble a file with the details of Rose Quartz' family.” 

Yasmine held a hand out to stop her. “No, it can wait.” She and everyone took their seats again. Yasmine pressed one hand to her cheek in thought. “Belle, should we target her family?” 

Jasper couldn’t believe she had just heard that. “Ma'am? What do you mean?” 

Yasmine scowled at Jasper. “You want revenge for Persimmon don’t you? To make Rose suffer like we suffered? What better way than to take someone she loves from her?” 

Jasper frowned. “No, that would only make us as bad as her.” 

Belle looked at Jasper. “You sound like Persimmon. She would talk like that, say we should be better, challenge us to be good people… perhaps that is why she was never a good businesswoman.” 

Jasper stood. “I will not be a part of this if you are talking about hurting innocent people. I have no problem with hurting Rose but I will not harm her family.” She turned and walked towards the door but she stopped when Yasmine spoke to her. 

“You would let her go unavenged over some people you don’t even know?” 

Jasper turned back. “Yes.” 

Belle cleared her throat. “Perhaps we are being too hasty. We should consider all of our options before deciding on something like this.” 

Yasmine looked at Belle with a puzzled expression. 

Belle looked back and raised a hand. “I am simply considering what Jasper is saying. If we harm her family we wouldn’t be any better than her. We should not rush to do something which could lead to significant complications. Especially in the eyes of the law.” 

Yasmine sat back in her chair. “Very well.” She looked at Jasper. “Is that acceptable?” 

Jasper nodded. “For now.” She stepped back to her chair and sat down. “Now tell me, how would you do it?” 

Yasmine smiled and began her explanation. She spoke of technical things that they could do as a rival business, of offers they could make to employees and customers to draw them from the store. She spoke of draining them and forcing them into a corner until the only out would be to close down. She spoke of having agents who could sabotage the store by causing upsets and creating problems for them. They talked about Jasper helping them by telling people about what had happened to Persimmon and how the owner of the store was responsible.

The diamond sisters took Jasper through their plan, allowing her to ask questions and making sure she understood how it would work. They went through gritty details and explained exactly how they would do it. Jasper listened closely and considered all of their words. After a couple of hours they finished their explanation. Jasper leaned back and rubbed her eyes tiredly, she was still processing a lot of this and needed time to consider.

“Alright. I think this is a good idea.” She looked at the Diamonds and pressed her hands together. “I would be willing to help you with this. However I need time and I need you to assure me of two things.” 

Belle nodded. “Go on.” 

“The first is that doing this will really allow us to give Persimmon the justice she deserves, and the second is that I will not be dragged down with Rose.” She looked at the two, completely serious. She had no illusions about these two. She knew that they were dangerous and she wanted to be certain they would not try to make her into a scapegoat and abandon her when it best suited them. 

Belle smiled softly and nodded. “You have my word. No matter what happens you will be provided for and once this is completed you will be welcome here with open arms. And you also have my word that this will be the vengeance Persimmon deserves.” She extended a hand out to Jasper who hesitantly took it and shook. 

Jasper smiled a little. “Thank you.” She stood up. “I should get going. I’ve got some things I need to take care of before I head back home. You have my number so please call me or text me if there's anything else. I’ll be ready to move when you need me to.” 

Yasmine nodded. “Of course. Have a good day Jasper. We'll be in touch.” 

Jasper left them, feeling a sense of eagerness as she thought over the plan they had presented to her and the role she would play in it. She headed to the market to grab the groceries, checking her phone to see that Peridot had given her a long list of dishes she enjoyed, so long she had to scroll up to see all of it. She chuckled softly and moved a little faster, wanting to get home soon.

-

Yasmine stood and looked out the window, her arms crossed over her chest as she thought through the things they had discussed. She jumped slightly when she felt her sister wrap her arms around her and hug her from behind. 

“We are so close Yasmine. So very close.” She leaned her head against Yasmine's back. 

Yasmine nodded and touched Belle's hands. “I know.” She chuckled. “That was a brilliant lie you told to Jasper. I think she actually believed you.” She sometimes forgot how cunning her sister truly was. 

Belle turned her head. “She's foolish. Love will do that to people.” She pulled away so that Yasmine could turn around and embrace her properly. 

“I suppose it will.” Yasmine said, gently running her fingers through Belle's hair. They stood there in the moment until Yasmine eventually broke the silence. “Rose has a son.” 

Belle nodded. “Yes. We will need to decide how to deal with him. But for now we should allow Jasper to play her role. She is to be our agent, working to destroy that woman and her business. We must simply exploit her feelings and use those to make her into our tool.” 

Yasmine smiled. “You are brilliant my dear sister.” 

Belle nodded. “Thank you.” She pulled back a bit. “I’m afraid I need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow." 

Yasmine nodded. “Have a good day Belle.” 

“The same to you Yasmine.” She left, her assistant following her as she went out of the building and on her way. Yasmine pulled out the file on Rose and added the new information to it. She looked at the picture she had on her desk. It was an image of her and her sisters out on a picnic. In the picture Yasmine was cooking on a grill while Belle and Persimmon were off playing. Persimmon was climbing up a tree and swinging from a branch. Whitney was in the picture too but it was difficult to make her out as she was partway out of the frame. 

Yasmine lifted up the picture and ran her fingers over the image of Persimmon. “We'll get you your justice sweet sister.” She looked at her assistant who was sitting quietly in the room. 

“Collect all the information you can about Rose Quartz. Leave nothing out this time. I forgave you once but even I have my limits. Understood?” Her assistant nodded before she rose and left, going to fulfill Yasmine's demands. Yasmine sat down and got to work on business in the mall. 

-

Jasper was able to complete the shopping in an hour and was now heading home, her arms burdened with many shopping bags. As she came to the door of her apartment she heard barking and it was pulled open before she could even knock. Peridot smiled up at her and quickly took a couple of bags, taking them to the kitchen. “Welcome back!”

“Oh, thank you.” Jasper followed her, closing the door and locking it before continuing into the kitchen. Peridot was already putting items away in the fridge while Pumpkin sat on the floor and watched her happily. 

“So, where did you go?” Peridot inquired, interested in what the other had been doing while she was out.

Jasper started to put things away too. “I was called to a meeting.” She stated. She wasn’t certain how much she wanted to share with Peridot. She still didn’t know the girl all that well after all. 

“Oh? Was this a super secret meeting?” Peridot joked. She carefully organized the fridge, making sure it looked nice as she filled it. 

“Something like that. It was from work, and it's an opportunity for me.” 

Peridot looked at her and smiled. “Holy smokes! Are you getting a promotion?!” 

Jasper chuckled. “Maybe, it kind of depends.” 

Peridot punched Jasper's arm. “Great job.” She then realized how much her hand hurt and grabbed it, wincing. “Ow, what are you made of?” 

Jasper smiled. “Muscles and determination.” She patted Peridot’s head. “Thank you.” 

Peridot blushed and nodded. “Uh yeah, sure.” She quickly went back to filling the fridge, her face bright red now. 

Jasper helped and soon enough they had all the food put away. They went over and sat on the couch. Pumpkin put his front paws on the couch cushion and looked at Peridot, asking for permission to get up.

Peridot patted her lap and Pumpkin jumped up and got in her lap, laying down and relaxing while Peridot scratched him behind the ears. She looked up at Jasper. “So how do you feel about science fiction shows?” 

Jasper smiled. “I think they’re alright, especially if they have aliens and cool technology.” She grabbed the remote and turned on the tv. “What did you have in mind?” 

Peridot smiled. “I think you’re gonna be a great roommate!” They then started up a show and began watching. Jasper left her to start cooking partway through one episode and they ate together, enjoying the company and the good food. 

Jasper only half paid attention to the movie. Her thoughts were occupied by what the Diamond sisters had spoken to her about in the meeting. She looked at Peridot and considered telling her about what had happened. But she held her tongue. She didn’t want to risk the other blabbing to somebody about the meeting and she still didn’t know her well enough to trust her with the knowledge. 

As she considered things she suddenly noticed a cold wet feeling on her wrist and looked down to see Peridot's dog, Pumpkin, nudging her wrist and giving her a doggy smile. Jasper smiled a little and pet the dog, scratching him behind the ears. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't need to focus on the Diamond sisters and their plan right now. She needed to focus on relaxing and enjoying herself. She took a deep breath and just let herself enjoy the film and the pleasant company. She chuckled as Peridot started going off about a little thing in the show and talked with her about it, still petting the dog and relaxing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably going to be the last chapter of this story that I work on for a while. I'm kinda losing steam for it and I'm very tired which is why I haven't done much writing this month. I'll be focusing on other stories for now and trying to finish those. When I do come back and finish this it will be the final arc of this au. 
> 
> If you would like to make any suggestions for fanfics I will graciously take them. If you want to tell me what you like and what you're looking forward to in this au that would be awesome! Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I'll be posting stories for this on an irregular schedule and just having fun with this au. Thank you as well for any kudos or bookmarks or other things in advance, I really appreciate them. 
> 
> If you have any questions about the AU feel free to ask them in the comments but I may not be able to answer if there are spoilers.


End file.
